The Houston Texans find themselves in the thick of the AFC playoff picture coming down the stretch of the season. However, one significant injury to star quarterback C.J. Stroud could put their postseason hopes in jeopardy.
Stroud suffered a head injury near the end of their Week 14 matchup against the New York Jets. He was then put into concussion protocol, where he has remained throughout the week.
Unfortunately, not much has changed about his status for their matchup on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. The Texans released their injury report on Friday, which lists Stroud as doubtful for the game.
Friday’s Injury Report for #HOUvsTEN ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/hFuBVLvmlA
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) December 15, 2023
This is obviously a worst-case scenario for a team that like the Texans that desperately needs a win to keep pace in an uber-competitive AFC playoff picture.
Fans took to social media to express their disappointment about this news.
The Cinderella ride was awesome for the Texans, but it feels like the carriage is turning into a pumpkin regarding making playoff noise.
Just too many injuries stacking up. https://t.co/X1lBpum7SM
— Mr. Glass Half-Full (@MisterGHF) December 15, 2023
Welp. Not to mention all of the other injuries. Titans aren’t great, but this isn’t ideal either. Smh. Still way ahead of schedule in Demeco’s first season. #WeAreTexans https://t.co/x3PLhalrS2
— Eddie (@eddiec118) December 15, 2023
That makes me sad because he was still playing when the game was pretty much over 🥺😞 https://t.co/ADnJj6djFF
— Mike (@ParadoxicalMike) December 15, 2023
WE ARE COOKED 😞😞😞 https://t.co/riAK7vbl5w
— ASTRO⚡️ (@SurrGeeOhh) December 15, 2023
https://t.co/xhbWBtZP6k pic.twitter.com/lAhGji7NCo
— Jon Block (@JrocketB) December 15, 2023
💔💔💔✌️ https://t.co/fvmif2H5VB
— 🗽 (@Rodgers2Garrett) December 15, 2023
Stroud’s absence will obviously be a huge hurdle for the Texans to overcome in their upcoming matchup with the Titans. And the odds have drastically shifted in the game as a result.
It is the Titans, who have just a 5-8 on the year, that are four-point favorites in this game, which obviously shows how much sportsbooks value C.J. Stroud’s presence on this team.
The Texans currently sit at 7-6 on the year, tied with a number of AFC teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Indianapolis Colts, the Denver Broncos, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Buffalo Bills.
If the Texans do drop this game like oddsmakers are expecting, they could fall behind several teams for the final postseason spot in the AFC. And with only a few games left in the season, this is simply a game that they cannot afford to lose.
