The Houston Texans will turn to their backup quarterback on Sunday after a Week 9 injury to C.J. Stroud altered their plan. The franchise has publicly backed its contingency, and the week’s practice and medical designations clarified why the change is now in place.
C.J. Stroud Injury Update
Stroud was ruled out for Week 10 after sustaining a concussion during the loss to the Denver Broncos, when his head hit the turf on a scramble. Davis Mills stepped up in his absence and led the Texans to a stunning 36-29 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It is Stroud’s second career concussion, and the setback occurred with 13:51 left in the second quarter versus the Broncos. Mills finished that game in relief, completing 17 of 30 passes for 137 yards without a touchdown or interception, an experience the staff pointed to while mapping the week’s plan.
Unfortunately, Stroud failed to clear the concussion protocol in time and will not play in Week 11 as well. His status for Week 12 is also in doubt as Houston will play against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football.
Mills will start in Week 11 against the Tennessee Titans, and he will look to build on his excellent performance from last week. In the win against the Jaguars, Mills threw for 292 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
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Heading into Week 11, the Texans have the 22nd-ranked offense in the league according to PFSN’s Offense Impact metric. Houston is 4-5 on the season, and a win against the Titans will be huge for its chance of making the playoffs. According to PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor, the Texans currently have a 26.1% chance of making the postseason.
Houston Texans’ Insights for Week 11
Team: Houston scored 26 points in the fourth quarter of Week 10 after scoring 28 total points in the previous eight quarters.
QB: Davis Mills was the third quarterback in the NFL this season to record a win while posting at least 275 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown.
Offense: The Texans have scored 14.4 PPG in five losses (33.0 PPG in four wins).
Defense: Danielle Hunter 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, and one forced fumble against the Jaguars. He had the second-best PFSN EDGE Impact score (89.1, B+) of Week 7.
Fantasy: Houston showed no hesitation in leaning into the pass game last week against the Jags, and fantasy managers were rewarded, even with Davis Mills under center. Nico Collins cleared 100 yards, and Dalton Schultz had the best PPR game of his season (7-53-1). The tight end has worked his way into the lineup lock tier by clearing 10 fantasy points in four of his past five games.