CJ Stroud, Jalen Pitre Ruled Out for Texans’ Showdown With Bills
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans will once again be without star quarterback C.J. Stroud when they take the field against the Buffalo Bills on “Thursday Night Football,” head coach DeMeco Ryans announced Tuesday.
Stroud has not yet cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol, though he showed progress by returning to practice in a limited capacity. Despite the improvement, the short week proved too tight a window for the second-year quarterback to be cleared in time. Ryans said Stroud is tracking toward a return in Week 13 when the Texans travel to face the Indianapolis Colts (8–2).
Houston will also be without starting safety Jalen Pitre, who remains in concussion protocol after suffering his own head injury in Week 9. Like Stroud, Pitre participated in practice but could not complete the final steps required for clearance. Ryans pointed to the quick turnaround as the primary factor limiting both players’ availability.
This marks Stroud’s third consecutive missed game since sustaining the concussion against Denver. Backup quarterback Davis Mills has stepped up impressively in relief, guiding Houston to a 2–0 record with back-to-back game-winning drives against Jacksonville and Tennessee. Mills has averaged 22.5 points per game as a starter while throwing three touchdowns to one interception.
The Texans, once buried in an 0–3 hole, now sit at 5–5 and firmly in the AFC playoff mix. They enter Week 12 as the No. 8 seed, just behind the Jaguars for the final AFC wild-card position.
Thursday’s matchup carries enormous postseason implications. A victory over Buffalo would give Houston a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker and jump its playoff chances from 26% to 37%, according to ESPN Analytics. A loss, however, would deal a significant blow — dropping those odds to just 15%.
With Stroud sidelined again, the Texans will rely on Mills for one more high-stakes performance to keep their playoff hopes alive.
CJ Stroud, Jalen Pitre Ruled Out for Texans’ Showdown With Bills was originally published on theboxhouston.com
