The Houston Texans host the Buffalo Bills on “Thursday Night Football” in a short-week matchup that’s starting to feel like a must-win. With the Indianapolis Colts leading the AFC South at 8-2 and the Texans sitting in third at 5-5, the odds are heavily stacked against them winning the division, meaning a Wild Card berth might be the only way to sneak into the playoffs. Unfortunately, that means they’d have to beat out teams like the Bills (7-3), Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4), Kansas City Chiefs (5-5), or Baltimore Ravens (5-5), a tall task for a team that again won’t have its franchise QB. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that C. J. Stroud has been ruled out for Thursday’s contest against Buffalo, handing the reins over to fifth-year veteran Davis Mills for the third straight week. An unfortunate development, given that many had presumed Stroud would have cleared concussion protocol by now. Read More: Raiders’ Pete Carroll Sends Strong Message to Geno Smith After Cowboys Loss Drafted No. 2 overall in 2023 out of Ohio State, Stroud won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, throwing for 4, 108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just five interceptions with a 100. 8 passer rating. Since then, his numbers have dipped: just 3, 727 yards, 20 TDs, and 12 INTs in 2024 (87. 0 passer rating), and now 1, 702 passing yards, 11 TDs, and five INTs across eight games this season (93. 4 passer rating). Nevertheless, he remains a franchise cornerstone for a team that just two years ago made it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Read More: Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer Addresses CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens Decision Stroud suffered a concussion in Week 9 after a hard hit against the Denver Broncos; he entered and has remained in the NFL concussion protocol ever since. Mills has started in Stroud’s absence and produced steady performances: in four appearances, he has 726 passing yards, three TDs, one INT, and an 82. 2 passer rating, including back-to-back 270‑yard‑plus games that resulted in Texans wins. While Mills has proven he can step in when needed, Stroud raises the Texans’ offensive ceiling significantly, which makes Thursday’s game against a top-ranked offense like Buffalo (averaging 387. 4 total yards per game) all the more worrisome. Sportsbooks currently list the Bills as 3. 5-point favorites with a 43. 5-point over/under on the road in NRG Stadium.
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nfl/texans-announce-devastating-cj-stroud-decision-before-bills-game-11069169