Week 1 was the big reveal for the Houston Texans offense. The Texans spent most of the offseason looking for ways to improve their offensive output after firing offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, hiring Nick Caley and reconfiguring their offensive line. Houston also added a pair of dynamic receivers in the draft including Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel and figured things would be different as they opened the year against the Los Angeles Rams.
60 minutes later, the Texans offense looked a lot like it did one year ago, putting up just 265 yards of total offense during a 14-9 loss. The performance drew plenty of frustration and questions on how DeMeco Ryans will help the unit improve in Week 2, but that plan has already hit a snag after wide receivers Christian Kirk and Braxton Berrios and offensive lineman Jake Andrews were absent from Thursday’s practice.
Texans Could Be Down Three Starters vs. Buccaneers
According to Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle, Kirk, Berrios and Andrews were not present during the portion of practice that was open to the media on Thursday afternoon. While Thursday’s practice was the first practice of the week as the Texans prepare to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night, Warren admitted there’s a chance that all three could be out in Week 2, leaving Houston in a big hole as they try to avoid an 0-2 start.
Kirk and Berrios were part of the Texans’ banged-up receiving core as both missed the season opener with hamstring injuries. One of the biggest weaknesses of the offseason, the Texans pass-catchers didn’t get much from Higgins (two catches, 32 yards) or Noel (one catch for seven yards) while C.J. Stroud completed just 19-of-27 passes for 188 yards and an interception.
While the receiving duo is one concern for the Texans, so is the offensive line. Ed Ingram missed the first game of the season with an abdominal injury before Andrews injured his ankle in the second quarter. While Ingram “looked to be a full participant” at Thursday’s practice per Warren, Andrews remained out, potentially giving way for Jarrett Patterson to replace him.
Patterson did a better job replacing Andrews than the receivers did replacing Kirk and Berrios, as he didn’t allow a pressure in his 11 pass-blocking snaps after coming into the game. But he also lost his starting job to Andrews during training camp, which creates a bigger issue moving forward.
Every team deals with injuries and the Texans are no exception. But few teams endured the struggles that the Texans encountered in Week 1 as only the Miami Dolphins (8) and New York Giants (6) scored fewer points in the opener. Going up against Todd Bowles’s defense isn’t an easy rebound assignment and the injuries could make things more difficult heading into Monday night.