Last week, the Houston Texans improved to 6-5 with a 23-19 win over the Buffalo Bills. Even with the momentum, one of the biggest storylines in Houston remains Joe Mixon’s injury. His status is still unclear, and as the season enters its final stretch, it’s unknown when, or if, he’ll be back on the field. Here’s the latest on Mixon’s recovery and outlook moving forward.
Joe Mixon Injury Update
Mixon’s status has turned into one of the biggest uncertainties for the Texans this season. He hasn’t played a single snap after suffering a mysterious injury in the offseason, and the team has provided very few updates on where he stands in his recovery.
However, NFL insider Ian Rapoport recently reported that Mixon is unlikely to return this season as he continues to recover from the foot injury he suffered over the summer. For now, Houston will rely on Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks to handle the backfield duties.
Given the absence of any meaningful updates from the organization, it appears Mixon’s recovery has not progressed enough to suggest a late-season comeback.
Mixon responded to this report himself, essentially refuting the claims. The Texans star pushed back on the report, saying no one should claim to know more about his recovery than he does, and called out Rapoport for sharing the information.
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Despite Mixon’s pushback, the Texans have remained silent on his progress, leaving fans and reporters guessing. Until the team provides an official update, his status for the remainder of the year remains uncertain.
In his absence, Chubb and Marks have carried the workload in the backfield. This is Chubb’s first season in Houston after he signed with them in the offseason.
Chubb has rushed for 435 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. According to PFSN’s RB Impact metric, he is ranked #47 among the players at his position.
Marks, a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft, has rushed for 422 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games this season. He is averaging 3.7 yards per carry, and according to PFSN’s RB Impact Metric, is the 41st-ranked running back in the league.
Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts Preview
Texans’ Week 13 Insights
Team:Â The Texans have the second-highest DEFi (93.1, A) this season, behind the Broncos (93.1, A). Houston has recorded a top-five weekly finish in five of the last eight weeks.
QB:Â Davis Mills registered a 67.7 QBi (D+) against the Bills in Week 12. He had a C- and C+ in his other two starts.
Offense:Â Houston graded at C or better in the last three games after posting a D+ or worse level four times in the first eight games.
Defense:Â The Texans have 11 interceptions while allowing only ten passing touchdowns.
Fantasy: Over the past three weeks, Woody Marks has accounted for 57.8% of Houston’s rushing yards and 67.6% of their attempts on the ground. His usage in the passing game has underwhelmed over that run (20 total receiving yards), but he’s become the focal point of this backfield at the perfect time.
Colts’ Week 13 Insights
Team:Â Indianapolis finishes with six games against teams currently in a playoff spot, including two games against both Houston and Jacksonville.
QB: Daniel Jones’s 71.3 QBi score against the Chiefs was his lowest of the year. It was his third straight week grading outside the top ten after seven out of the first eight games ranked eight or higher.
Offense: The Colts’ 71.6 (C-) OFFi against the Chiefs was the second-lowest score they had this season. Indianapolis still leads the NFL with a 92.1 OFFI for the season.
Defense:Â The Colts allowed 11 points in the fourth quarter against the Chiefs. It was the second most, only behind 14 in a Week 4 loss to the Rams.
Fantasy: The Daniel Jones season is leaking oil, but he did funnel 48.4% of his targets to his top two pass catchers. Tyler Warren and Michael Pittman were fine weekly plays, but Josh Downs (13 yards on eight targets over his past two games) is trending in the wrong direction at the worst possible time.
