Joe Mixon and Christian Harris may still be weeks away from returning.
The Houston Texans were able to hold off the Buffalo Bills in Week 5, and they lost a key player in Nico Collins, who could be out for the next couple of weeks with a hamstring injury. Coming into Week 5, the Texans already had a few injuries, and head coach DeMeco Ryans gave an update on Joe Mixon and Christian Harris.
Ryans said that Joe Mixon is still being evaluated week to week, but he's still improving as time goes on. For linebacker Christian Harris, he won't be returning to practice as he started the season on injured reserve.
Harris had been dealing with a strained calf, while Mixon missed his third straight game with a sprained ankle. Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale have stepped up in the running game while Mixon still recovers.
The hope is that both Mixon and Harris can come back in a few weeks so the Texans can get close to full strength.
Texans dealing with multiple injuries
Along with Joe Mixon and Christian Harris, Nico Collins was the recent Texans player to suffer an injury. C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins connected on a 67-yard touchdown in the first quarter, but Collins suffered a hamstring injury during the play. Collins limped to the sidelines and went into the medical tent, then headed to the locker room where he was declared out for the rest of the game.
At first, Collins was listed as day-to-day, but Ryans noted that the wide receiver would be week-to-week with his hamstring injury. That means that Collins has a real chance of missing the Week 6 matchup against the New England Patriots.
Collins has probably been one of the best receivers this season, as he entered Week 5 with a league-high 567 receiving yards. Hamstring injuries are hard to call, and it's not good to rush back from them because there's a possibility of making it worse.
The Texans should take it slow with Collins, and luckily for them, they have a few reliable receivers already on the team that can pick up his workload if need be.
Having your top receiver and running back out with injury is not good, but the Texans have reliable depth in those positions to help them. Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell will have to step up in Collins' absence, while Cam Akers continues to take most of the workload with Mixon out. C.J. Stroud has also shown the ability to make plays when they matter the most, so the Texans should be in good shape.
