The Texans head to Nashville on Sunday with the kind of injury report that can change the mood around a season in a hurry. Tank Dell still isn’t ready, but Houston does get a much-needed lift on defense, where Will Anderson Jr. and Azeez Al-Shaair finished the week as full participants and were given no game designation for the AFC South matchup with the Tennessee Titans.
For an 0-4 team, that matters. Houston doesn’t just need a good sign. It needs a win.
Dell’s return will have to wait a little longer. He was back at practice this week after Houston opened his 21-day window Tuesday, a meaningful step in his recovery, but the Texans kept the brakes on. He was limited Wednesday and Thursday, then did not practice Friday and was ruled out for Sunday.
That makes sense. The record is ugly, but Dell’s knee still has to move on its own timeline.
Houston has Nico Collins, Jaylin Noel, Kayshon Boutte and Xavier Hutchinson available for C.J. Stroud, and Dell can add another layer to that group when he’s truly ready.
Sunday just isn’t that day.
The bigger development for Houston is what’s happening on the other side of the ball.
Anderson missed Wednesday with an ankle issue, was limited Thursday and then went full Friday. Al-Shaair, who sat out last week’s 34-30 loss to Dallas with a groin injury, also finished Friday as a full participant and carries no designation into the game.
Kaden McDaniel and M.J. Stewart were also activated to the active roster, which becomes even more notable with DeMeco Ryans taking back defensive play-calling duties.
That defense has work to do after Dallas poured in 28 points in the second half last week, capped by the 74-yard touchdown march that swung the game after Houston had taken a 30-27 lead with 2:23 left.
If Ryans wants this unit more aggressive and more connected, having Anderson and Al-Shaair back helps a lot.
Logan Hall and Jamal Hill were full participants Friday and have no game designation. Jadeveon Clowney did not practice Friday because of knee/rest, but he also carries no designation.
Houston’s biggest concern may be up front on offense, where the injury report got crowded late in the week. Tackles Aireontae Ersery and Blake Fisher and guard Ed Ingram are questionable because of illnesses.
Ersery did not practice Thursday or Friday, while Fisher and Ingram were limited Friday. Braden Smith is also questionable with a foot injury after his practice window opened alongside Dell’s, even though he was a full participant Thursday and Friday.
That matters because Stroud finally looked like he was finding a groove against Dallas.
He comes into Week 5 with an NFL-best 154 straight passes without an interception and has thrown for 1,141 yards, five touchdowns and zero picks this season.
Tennessee has its own health issues. Safety Amani Hooker is out after not clearing concussion protocol. Receiver Carnell Tate is questionable with a back injury after being limited Thursday and Friday, and tight end David Martin-Robinson and cornerback Joshua Williams are also questionable.
Tate is the headline name there after posting nine catches for 145 yards against Baltimore last week.
Houston just dealt with CeeDee Lamb catching 17 passes for 189 yards, so whether Tate plays or not, the Texans can’t afford another day where one receiver keeps finding the same weak spots.
The Titans do have two important players trending the right way. Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and running back Tony Pollard were full participants Friday and have no game designation.
There’s also a little symmetry hanging over this one. The Texans and Titans are both 0-4, and the all-time series is tied 24-24 heading into the 49th regular-season meeting.
Houston has been in this spot before, too. Last season, the Texans entered their 2025 Week 4 matchup with Tennessee winless, beat the Titans, and then won 11 of their final 13 games to finish 12-5.
That doesn’t promise a repeat. It does show that a bad start doesn’t have to define everything that comes after it.
For now, though, the formula is simple: beat Tennessee.
The Texans and Titans kick off at noon Central on Sunday, Oct. 11, at Nissan Stadium.
In Other News...
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Titans' Miserable Day Somehow Got Even More Embarrassing In Nashville
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Then a strange sideline moment made the afternoon even more memorable for all the wrong reasons. After a play behind the end zone, a staffer got knocked down and his pants fell, exposing him in full view, and Robert Griffin III turned the clip into one of the days more amusing social media reactions. For Houston, it was another reminder that sometimes the story around a game spills far outside the lines. [Read more 🡒]