Stingley’s status up in the air after missed practice
Texans rookie cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. did not practice Wednesday as he continues to deal with a “mild hamstring strain” that kept him from playing Sunday against Washington.
The fact that he didn’t practice wasn’t a good sign for his availability Sunday against the Dolphins. Miami has the NFL’s second-best passing offense, with wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who leads the NFL with 81 receptions for 1,148 yards, and Jaylen Waddle, who is fifth in the league with 878 yards receiving.
The Texans do not practice Thursday because of Thanksgiving Day, and Friday is their normal walk-through.
Stingley, statistically, has been the Texans’ best cover corner, and he’s been tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best receiver. He hasn’t given up a touchdown in nine games played this year. He has one interception, five pass deflections, and opponents have a 79.8 passer rating when targeting him.
The Texans used cornerback Desmond King at outside corner in his place against the Commanders, and will likely do the same again if Stingley can’t play against the Dolphins. King, who has primarily played slot corner, has one interception and seven pass deflections this season. According to Pro Football Reference, Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke was 3-of-5 for 35 yards when targeting King.
“Hamstrings are tricky a little bit,” Texans coach Lovie Smith said. “You don’t know exactly how long they’ll take. He’s out there, he’s rehabbing, getting better. On exactly when he’ll be ready to go, we don’t know that.”