C.J. Stroud Expected to Be OUT vs. Browns
HOUSTON, TX -- According to reports from ESPN, Houston Texans star rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is likely to miss his second consecutive game due to a concussion.
As of Tuesday, he has not yet cleared the concussion protocol.
Stroud suffered the concussion during the Texans blowout loss to the Jets in Week 14, forcing him to miss the team's overtime win vs. the Titans on Sunday.
In response to Stroud's status, the Texans signed reserve quarterback Tim Boyle from the Jets practice squad.
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That said, should Stroud indeed be unable to go, Case Keenum is in line to get his second straight start for Houston, with Davis Mills serving as the backup.
In his previous start against the Titans, Keenum was able to manage the game well, completing 23 of 36 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown. That said, he did struggle at times throughout the day, and even threw a nearly disastrous pick-six in the first half.
Despite that, he was able to lead the Texans to a come-from-behind win, after trailing 13-0 late in the second quarter.
Unfortunately for the Texans, the Browns and their No. 1 ranked total bring a far more daunting challenge to the field than the Titans, giving up just 261 yards and 20.6 points per game. They are also top-10 in the NFL in takeaways and tied for fifth in the NFL in interceptions.
And with their playoff hopes on the line, facing that kind of defense with a backup QB, no matter how savvy he may be, is not an ideal situation.
Especially with the Texans still on the outside looking in, as far as the standings are currently concerned.
