The Houston Texans are still Super Bowl contenders. It just got a little harder to win the big one with a tough injury on offense.
Jayden Higgins tore his ACL in the joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL Network was the first to report the injury.
It’s a devastating injury for the Texans. Higgins was poised to have a huge season. He looked to be in great shape, adding muscle to his frame. He and quarterback C.J. Stroud had dialed in their connection. It looked like Nico Collins would have a dynamic running mate to help take attention off of him and benefit from the focus Collins draws.
Now the team’s “next man up” mantra gets its toughest test in a long time.
The In-House Options
There is no replacing Higgins. Nobody has showcased that ability in training camp. There is not a receiver close to his talent and abilities. Replacing him likely comes from the sum of the parts.
Xavier Hutchinson has had an excellent camp. He’s never looked better than he does now. He has the versatility to move around as the Texans intended with Higgins. Hutchinson has improved every year, and the Texans will need him to continue that ascent.
DeMeco Ryans called Hutchinson a trustworthy player he can count on in any situation without missing a beat. He used the word dependability. The Texans will definitely depend on Hutchinson.
Justin Watson is a factor in replacing Higgins. He, like Hutchinson, can line up all over the field. Watson was part of the last Super Bowl-winning team for the Kansas City Chiefs, so he’s played in some big games. He was hurt most of last year, but Ryans sees success from Watson in training camp.
“He’s a really smart player,” he said last week. “He does a good job on fourth down as well. When you have a receiver who can do multiple things, play multiple spots, provide depth on fourth down and make plays there. He’s just a guy who has many different tools that we can use. It’s encouraging to see him out here and having a good camp.”
Hutchinson and Watson represent the solid options. They present a smaller variance in potential than the following options.
Jaylin Noel is the player best suited actually to replace Higgins and the upside he represented. He was drafted 35 picks after Higgins in the same draft. They were equally productive at Iowa State. Noel was the best wideout in organized team activities and minicamp. He’s unfortunately been hurt. A pinky injury on his right hand and a hamstring have kept him from practicing more than a couple of drills in training camp.
The best version of Noel could be dangerous. He can play inside and outside. He’s the fastest player on the offense. The route running looked crisp and effective. The team had him buried behind an underperforming Christian Kirk last year. He has to get on the field, and the team must find out what they have in Noel. His potential rivals that of Higgins, but he can’t show it if he can’t get on the field.
Lewis Bond and Jared Wayne were battling to make the team. The injury to Higgins should easily slide both of them onto the roster.
Bond has flashed as a rookie. He’s shown a propensity to get open, showcasing carryover knowledge in the system from his time playing under Bill O’Brien at Boston College.
He was impressing his head coach early in camp.
“Lewis has come in, and he’s made a lot of wild plays,” Ryans said. “Going back to rookie minicamp, OTAs, Lewis is a guy who stood out, making a lot of great catches, a lot of third-down wins. He made a nice one-on-one play yesterday, making a nice overhead catch. He’s doing a really good job. He’s doing a really good job. I’m excited to see him continue to flourish. He is one of those camp risers this year that’s really showcasing his talent and making a name for himself. We’ll see how he continues to grow, but I’m excited with what I’ve seen so far, just like you guys.”
Bond has less versatility, but that is a weapon for Wayne. Wayne has put together a good camp. He’s trusted to play all three spots at wide receiver. It looks to finally be coming together for a player who previously had a ceiling of the practice squad.
Those represent all the in-house options for the reps vacated by Higgins.
Outside the Building
Looking elsewhere for help is a somewhat fruitless endeavor.
DeAndre Hopkins is a free agent, but his decline has been rapid over the past two seasons. Nostalgia doesn’t score points. Free agent Brandin Cooks made it clear he didn’t like the organization on his way out a few years ago. He’s a malcontent and locker room issue waiting to happen. No other free agents are worth noting.
New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte might be headed for a new team, but the Patriots shouldn’t be lining up to help the Texans. Marvin Harrison Jr. is not getting moved by the Arizona Cardinals. He and Stroud played together at Ohio State, so I understand making the connection, but the Cardinals aren’t giving up on him yet. Most back-of-the-roster players across the league couldn’t compete with the in-house options.
The Cleveland Browns and Texans have made plenty of deals. Jerry Jeudy is a somewhat intriguing name. He’s got a bloated contract, costs a draft pick, and, depending on who you believe, hasn’t been excellent in training camp. Not the most exciting option, but he’s the most likely to help among the realistic potential additions.
The “next man up” approach is the one.
Schematically Making Up for Higgins
Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley’s job got harder this week. Ratchet up the pressure on him too.
It’s up to him to find a way to make up for the absence of Higgins.
Hutchinson, Watson, and Wayne can move around like the Texans intended to do with Higgins. They very much aren’t Higgins, so there will need to be tweaks. The importance of the slot receiver increased. Noel, Bond, and the other bodies they place there must produce.
The tight ends will be necessary. Dalton Schultz was this team’s second-leading receiver last year. While I wouldn’t anticipate that volume, Schultz is a trusty element for Stroud to lean on. Marlin Klein is on this team for his receiving ability. The rookie has showcased it throughout camp. Foster Moreau and Cade Stover aren’t absolute zeroes catching the ball either.
For the love of all that his holy, throw the ball to David Montgomery and Woody Marks. They’re capable backs who can help in the passing game. Montgomery has done it multiple times in his career. It was an under-utilized aspect of Marks last season.
If you expected around 100 targets for Higgins, most of those can be handled by the wideouts replacing him. Add in a little bump for the expectation of the tight ends. Ferry targets to the running backs.
Oh, and a little more for Nico Collins wouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings. In fact, Collins feels like an underserved top wideout. Force a few more his way.
Caley, Stroud, and the offense must rebound. It’s unfortunate what has happened, but overcoming this injury is necessary. It might have dampened the Super Bowl hype, but it didn’t eliminate it. The Texans can overcome this.
What to Watch For in Preseason Game Two
Here are the four things (and a bonus special teams thing) I am watching the closest from tonight’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Lewis Bond is suddenly more important. I want to see more punt return duties for Bond in addition to plenty of routes. Let’s see him early in the game too so he plays against some of the starters for the Raiders. Jared Wayne’s participation is important as well. Wayne, like Higgins, left practice. His status is unknown. If he’s playing, that’s great news for Wayne and the wide receivers.
Noah Whittington can further clamp down on a roster spot. The rookie running back has done everything the Texans have asked of a player vying for a spot on the team. Run with patience? Check. Run with vision? Check. Run with violence? Check. Catch the ball? Check. Help on special teams? Check. Stay healthy? Check. Whittington just needs to keep it rolling. He’s been one of the surprises of training camp.
Kayden McDonald mauled the Raiders for a big stop in joint practice. Let’s see some more of that. The rookie eats double teams, but when he only has one man to beat, let’s see him beat them. McDonald hasn’t had many bad moments, but he could use a few more standout plays on his training camp resume.
There are linebacker jobs to be won. Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o shouldn’t get close to playing in this game. Every other linebacker should play. The Raiders intend to play starters. Get these linebackers plenty of reps. Wade Woodaz seems to be settling in behind the starters, but it is depth chart chaos behind him. Jake Hummel had some nice moments in joint practice. Marte Mapu needs to bounce back from his disastrous preseason opener. I haven’t noted Jamal Hill much in training camp. Rookie Aiden Fisher could steal a spot. There is so much uncertainty at linebacker; Jake Hansen should be considered a lock if he gets healthy before the end of camp.
Punter Kai Kroeger hasn’t escaped my watchful eye. Just replicate the punting success from the first preseason game, and I will be happy.
