This is now the second time in C.J. Stroud's NFL career that he missed at least two games due to a concussion. Stroud missed Weeks 15 and 16 with a concussion during his rookie season in 2023. C.J. Stroud started all 17 games for Houston in 2024. With the Texans ruling Stroud out for TNF, he'll miss his third consecutive game due to a concussion. Not ideal for the Texans.
You can look at stats all you want and stats tell a story, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey said, but they don't tell the whole story. The 49ers (5-2) are writing a unique tale this season, serving up plot twists outside logical numbers. The next chapter will unfold against the Texans (2-4) on Sunday (10 a.m. PT kickoff). It's OK if you've lost count amid this season's storylines: Too many injuries to stars, too many rookies, no 30-point games, and not enough yards per carry from McCaffrey, even though he has more scrimmage yards than any of the 1,695 other players on NFL rosters.
In the early portion of the fourth quarter, quarterback C.J. Stroud threw a back-shoulder pass on the sidelines to Collins with Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe in coverage. The Pro Bowl wideout leaped up for the pass but couldn't secure the catch while falling to the ground, and his head struck the turf. Collins gingerly got up with medical assistance and entered the medical blue tent for further evaluation before being ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The 23-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs marked the sixth time in franchise history -- and second straight year -- that Houston had fallen in the divisional round, a place in the playoffs that they had not been beyond. But the Texans' owners had a contrasting feeling from the previous year when they were battered by the Baltimore Ravens -- a 34-10 loss where the offense failed to score a touchdown.
HOUSTON -- The Texans have released veteran offensive lineman Trent Brown after he spent all of training camp on the PUP list with a knee injury. Houston signed Brown to a one-year, $3 million deal this offseason, but he failed to practice at all during training camp. Brown was limited to just three games last season with the Cincinnati Bengals after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee. Brown may not be the only offseason acquisition that fails to make the Texans' Week 1 roster as left tackle Cam Robinson is the subject of trade talks.
If you recall, these Texans had the same 10-7 record in 2023. But that division title came in the wake of three straight 12-plus loss seasons before. At the beginning of this decade, the Texans were an Evangelical clown show with a procession of disposable head coaches and a piece of sexual malware at quarterback. Then suddenly-HEY PRESTO!-2023 brought them an instant franchise QB, an instant franchise edge rusher, and a head coach everyone both loved and respected.
"It was surreal, honestly," Noel said. "The pick was in, my name got called and immediately I thought about Jayden. That is my guy; we have been playing together for the last two years. He called me, and we were just excited to be able to work with each other again and get to it."
