Several starters sit out Tuesday’s practice
Several Texans starters did not practice Tuesday.
Among them were defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Jonathan Greenard, defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins and Maliek Collins, left tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receivers Robert Woods and Noah Brown and fullback Andrew Beck.
The Texans (9-7) went through a light practice Tuesday in preparation for Saturday’s game against the Colts (9-7). They are usually off on Tuesdays.
The winner of the Week 18 game will get one of the final spots in the playoffs. If the Jaguars lose, the winner will also win the AFC South.
The fact that those players missed practice doesn’t necessarily mean they will miss the game. Tunsil, Rankins and Woods, in particular, normally miss the first practice of the week.
Anderson played on a limited snap count in Sunday’s win over Tennessee but is expected to play. Collins was game-time decision last week, so he is close to returning.
The biggest question mark is Greenard, who missed last week with an ankle injury.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said “we’ll see,” when asked about the team’s sack leader. Greenard has 12 ½ sacks.
Fant steps in, steps up after Tunsil’s injury
On an offensive line plagued by injuries this year, tackle George Fant has been invaluable.
Fant has played 15 games for the Texans, starting 13. In 892 snaps, he has allowed three sacks, been whistled for three penalties, allowed four quarterback hits and allowed 29 pressures.
Fant’s versatility is admired. He has played 851 snaps at right tackle, and he played 41 at left tackle in Sunday’s win over Tennessee when Tunsil went down with a groin injury.
Fant said he has played both sides of the line his whole career. It was something he picked up on pretty fast, understanding the difference in angles and hand placement from the right side to the left, that he said could keep him in the league.
“It helps a lot at that tackle position when guys are flexible enough to go to both sides, and that’s what George has done,” Ryans said. “Having George be able to step in — especially when we lose Laremy like (Sunday) — he steps in and we don’t miss a beat. He picks it up, he’s rolling and we’re still able to be efficient on offense because of George’s flexibility. So, happy that George was able to be there, healthy, feeling good and able to step in for us.”
Fant is in his first year with the Texans after spending the previous three with the Jets. According to Pro Football Focus, the seventh-year veteran grades at 64.6 among all tackles this season, placing him 47th. He grades 71.0 as a pass blocker, which ranks him 31st among all tackles.
According to the Pro Football Focus grading system, Fant ranks third on the Texans’ O-line behind Tunsil (74.1) and guard Shaq Mason (66.0).
“For the longest time, I couldn’t play right tackle like I wanted to,” Fant said. “Now I feel I’m at that point where I can play both sides pretty solidly. I’ve always wanted to be that stable factor in the room. To be great in this league, you have to be consistent, and my No. 1 goal is to be consistent anytime that I’m in the game. The type of player that when you roll me out there, you know what you’re going to get.”
Fant said it wasn’t a tough transition getting to know offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s system. It was the same system in New York that former Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur ran. Slowik and LaFleur were assistants together under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco.
“Around the whole NFL, it’s the same stuff but different terminology,” Fant said. “The longer you play in this league, things come a little bit easier for you. I feel I’ve had a pretty good season on the right and left sides, and having that knowledge of the system is a big reason why.”
Team taking elevation to prime time in stride
It took until the final week of the season before the Texans got some national prime-time exposure.
Saturday’s night game against the Colts on ESPN/ABC will be the first time the Texans play outside of the noon Sunday window of games this year.
If the Texans beat the Colts, they are in the playoffs. A win and Jaguars loss gives Houston the AFC South title. A loss to the Colts eliminates the Texans from postseason contention. If they tie, Houston would need help from other teams to make the postseason.
But for the Texans, it might as well be just any other game despite the hype and sudden spotlight.
“It is what it is,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “You don’t want to make it too high or too low. It’s just a regular game. I told my teammates earlier, it’s the same game we’ve been playing since we’ve been young. Nothing changes. Got to just prepare hard and do everything that we need to do to win this game.”
Stroud’s teammates have adopted the same approach, though linebacker Blake Cashman said the prominence of prime time does does bring a little more energy.
“I don’t make the moment bigger than it needs to be. It’s still just another football game,” Cashman said. “But you do understand it’s a divisional opponent, in prime time, in a game to get into the playoffs, so there is that level of urgency throughout the week to sell out and empty the tank so we can come out victorious.”
Ryans said the Texans are excited about the opportunity. Whether it’s prime time or not is immaterial.
“Yeah, our guys have to understand, when that ball is kicked off, or the ball is snapped, it doesn’t matter about your being overly excited,” Ryans said. “You have to be calm in the moment, you have to be focused on the task at hand, you have to be focused on what’s in front of you and that’s just going out and executing the details of your job to the fullest. When guys do that, that’s how you play winning football.”