A rough week in Houston took another sharp turn when the starting quarterback’s status shifted from concern to absence. Earlier in the week, C.J. Stroud was ruled out against the Jaguars because of a Week 9 concussion, with Davis Mills tapped to start in his place.

The decision underscored how thin the Texans’ margin has become in a season that already demanded near-perfect execution to stay in the AFC hunt.

After the game, the update stayed cautious . Head coach DeMeco Ryans said C.J. Stroud, right tackle Tytus Howard, and defensive back Jalen Pitre remain in the concussion protocol, adding, “We’ll see how they progress throughout the week,” per Jonathan M. Alexander.

That keeps Houston on a day-to-day footing at three critical spots: signal-caller, edge protection, and the back en

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