The Houston Texans will be without Jadeveon Clowney on Sunday when they face the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC South matchup at 1 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Clowney has been ruled out with a knee injury after sitting out practice all week. NBC Sports reported the injury is a bone bruise, and this will be his second straight missed game.
That leaves Houston leaning even harder on a defensive front that was built to rotate bodies and keep pressure coming from multiple spots. Clowney was brought back to give DeMeco Ryans another experienced piece on the edge, and he had already shown he could still impact the game. His first sack since returning to Houston moved him into a tie with Will Anderson Jr. for fourth on the franchise’s all-time sacks list with 30.
Now the Texans have to fill those snaps another way.
Will Anderson Jr. remains the centerpiece, but the bigger question Sunday is whether Houston can control the line of scrimmage without Clowney’s size and strength on the edge. That matters most against Jonathan Taylor, who gives Indianapolis the kind of run threat that can take over a game if the Texans let the Colts stay on schedule.
Taylor was listed on the Colts’ injury report earlier this week for rest, but he returned to full participation Thursday.
If Houston can force Indianapolis into third-and-long, the Texans can let Anderson and the rest of the pass rush go after the quarterback. If the Colts are able to keep landing steady gains on first and second down, it changes the entire shape of the game.
Logan Hall is one of the players to watch as Houston tries to make up for Clowney’s absence. Hall was limited Wednesday with a knee issue, but he was a full participant Thursday.
Houston does not need one player to copy everything Clowney does. The more realistic answer is a committee approach, with different defenders handling different jobs and the Texans using their scheme to create pressure. But somebody has to step into those reps and make an impact.
For Houston, the bigger issue is not whether Clowney misses this one game. It is whether the Texans can handle the gap he leaves behind without losing what makes their defense work. With both teams entering the game 0-2, the Texans need their front to set the tone.
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