The Texans injury report to start week 10 was longer than some high school football teams active depth charts. With 23 DNP's (did not practice) listed on Wednesday, there was plenty of cause for concern, but things are trending in a better direction Thursday.
The best news to come from NRG stadium this week so far, was the return of the Texans former No. 3 overall pick. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. was back at practice for the first time since injuring his hamstring during a week two loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Whether or not he'll be available for Sunday's game against Cincinnati remains to be seen. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has remained tight-lipped about his status throughout his rehab.
Along with Stingley, the Texans have designated offensive lineman Charlie Heck to return from the injured list as well. The backup tackle has been out all season, including training camp with a nagging foot injury.
The other bit of good news was the fact that defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins looks primed to return against the Bengals after missing the previous two games with a knee injury. His presence is much needed after the Texans lost veteran interior lineman Hassan Ridgeway for the second time this season, this time for good with a torn Achilles.
Rankins has tallied 12 tackles and a sack for the Texans this season in five games.
Meanwhile, a total of 14 starters were named on the injury report Wednesday, nine of which did not participate due to various ailments, including Will Anderson, Andrew Beck, Blake Cashman, Ka'imi Fairbairn, Steven Nelson, Laremy Tunsil, Dameon Pierce, Nico Collins and Jimmie Ward.
Only three of the nine DNP's from Wednesday's workout were seen practicing during the portion open to the media Thursday afternoon, including Will Anderson, Blake Cashman and Laremy Tunsil.
Ryans said the Texans missing so many important players won't deter them from accomplishing what they need to ahead of their clash with Joe Burrow and the Bengals this weekend.
"That's life," Ryans smiled. "Things don't go your way all the time, so I continue to smile through it, and we're going to have our best guys out there. Whoever is available, we're going to have our best guys out there and we're going to play the Texan brand of football."
Spoken like a typical coach, one shouldn't expect him to say anything on the contrary. However, the task ahead looks insurmountable with so many key contributors in doubt.
Easily their biggest test since a week one loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Texans are paying a much better brand of football in recent weeks, but so are the Bengals as quarterback Joe Burrow is back to full strength.
Dealing with a calf injury to start the season, Burrow has looked as good as ever over the course of the past four games since his team started the season 1-3.
Since, the Bengals have won four straight games with Burrow completing nearly 76% of his passes. He's thrown for 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions during the stretch while averaging 283 yards per game.
"Yeah, the biggest problem in facing Joe is you have to be tight in coverage," Ryans said. "Joe does a really good job of going through his progressions, and he can pick you apart very easily. So you have to be on it, you have to be on your communication. Everybody has to be exactly where they're supposed to be. If you're off a hair, he'll make you pay."
With the Texans top corner, Steven Nelson dealing with a bad neck and back and starting safety Jimmie Ward suffering a hamstring injury against the Bucs, the secondary is worn thin.
It would be huge if Stingley could return Sunday to help against the Bengals tough receiving core.
The trio of Jamar Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd have been explosive in recent weeks. All three have multiple catches for more than 20 yards in each of the last two games alone.
While Chase (back) and Higgins (hamstring) are dealing with injuries themselves, banking on their unavailability isn't something the Texans can concern themselves with, being so short handed themselves on both sides of the ball.
Nico Collins and Robert Woods were both on the injury report Wednesday. Though Woods returned to practice Thursday after missing the previous two games with a foot injury.
Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and CJ Stroud have been able to find a way to miss one of their most reliable receivers less, for at least one game with the emergence of Noah Brown and his career-high 153 yards on six catches and a touchdown in Sunday's win over the Bucs.
Collins, not present in Thursday's portion of practice that's open to the media, ranks just 42nd in targets (53) and 39th (36) in receptions but has accumulated 631 yards, which is the 10th most in the NFL in eight games played this season.
He'd be sorely missed on Sunday if his calf injury keeps him sidelined. He's been the Texans most reliable weapon on third-downs, hauling in 11 passes for first-downs, which ranks him in a tie for 12th most in the league.
Collins has seen a 63% increase in his yards per target this season from last, averaging just 7.3 yards per target in 2022, to 11.9 this season. That's first amongst all NFL receivers with at least 50 targets this season.
A limited receiving core, even with Woods' probable return, poses another uphill climb for a team whose run game has been excruciatingly bad and is still without their starting running back Dameon Pierce.
The Texans will need to dial up more opportunities for Brown and Dell to keep pace with a Bengals offense that's clicking on all cylinders right now.
The Bengals 'bend but don't break' defense this season may not be anything to write home about if you're just perusing the statistics. However, they've come on as of late after allowing an average of 26 points per game in their three losses to start the season. Since, the Bengals have held all of their last four opponents to less than 20 points, including the 49ers and Bills, two of the top five offenses in the league, to just 17 and 18 points respectively.
"I think what impresses me the most about their defense is how they attack the football," Ryans said. "They make you pay. They catch the interceptions that you throw. They're not dropping them. They force fumbles. They do a really good job of playing together. They play fast."
The Bengals are second in the NFL in interceptions with 11 and have only forced five fumbles on the season but are an attacking defense that has hassled opposing quarterbacks all season. Between defensive ends Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson along with defensive tackle BJ Hill, they all rank inside the top 25 hitting the quarterback, combining for 38 quarterback hits in eight games.
Over the course of the last month, with the Bengals playing some of the best football in the AFC, the Texans, healthy or not will have their hands full in Cincinnati on Sunday.
