Houston Texans OL Tytus Howard OUT for Remainder of the Season
The Houston Texans (6-5) lost in Week 12 to the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-3) by a final score of 24-21, but it's the loss within that one game that will have an impact on how the rest of this storybook season goes.
With just 20 seconds left in the first quarter against the Jaguars, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed a pass to rookie receiver Tank Dell that gained 62 yards and placed the ball on the opponent's 24-yard line.
Unfortunately, there was a flag thrown on Dell for an illegal shift and the play was wiped away with a five-yard penalty on top of it. The knee injury suffered by offensive lineman Tytus Howard couldn't be wiped away, however, and Houston was forced to play the rest of the game without him.
Now, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the team will have to play many more snaps without their talented lineman.
"Tytus Howard, who left Sunday's game with a knee injury, is expected to miss the rest of the season, sources said after testing," Rapoport reported Wednesday morning. "He'll have surgery to repair it. A blow to the Houston OL."
Houston Texans offensive tackle Tytus Howard (71) and New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) in action during the first quarter at NRG Stadium.
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Backup lineman Juice Scruggs came in to replace Howard against Jacksonville and will be the man we presume the Texans will turn to for the remainder of the season as well.
"I thought he stepped in and did a good job of being ready to go," coach DeMeco Ryans said of Scruggs on Sunday after the game.
According to Pro Football Focus Howard had allowed just one sack this season while giving up 18 total pressures.
Scruggs is in his first NFL season and has allowed three pressures in 38 pass-blocking reps so far this year.
