HOUSTON – Texans Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a sprained ankle in a game-time decision after returning to practice Friday morning, per league sources.
Cam Akers will be RB1 for the second week in a row with Dare Ogunbowale backing him up.
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Mixon looked good in practice and his outlook is encouraging for next week’s big game against the Buffalo Bills, per sources.
The defending AFC South champions elevated reserve running back J.J. Taylor from the practice squad to the active roster on Saturday.
Mixon returned to practice Friday morning after being sidelined for the past two weeks with a sprained ankle suffered against the Chicago Bears.
The Texans’ inactives, besides Mixon, included wide receiver Tank Dell (bruised ribs), running back Dameon Pierce (strained hamstring) and safety Jimmie Ward (groin) in addition to linebacker Jamal Hill and offensive lineman Nick Broeker.
With Dell out, wide receiver John Metchie III is active against the Jaguars.
The running game struggled against the Minnesota Vikings with just 38 rushing yards on 19 carries.
Rookie safety Calen Bullock, veteran Eric Murray and nickel-safety Jalen Pitre will fill the void with Ward out.
Wide receiver Nico Collins returned to practice after being limited Thursday with a hamstring injury. Collins is set to play Sunday. He participated fully in practice Friday and has no injury designation, meaning he’s expected to play.
Collins leads the AFC with 338 receiving yards on 18 receptions and 28 targets, averaging 18.8 yards per catch with one touchdown after signing a three-year, $75 million maximum value deal this offseason.
Akers rushed for just 21 yards on nine carries for a 2.3 average per run as he started against the Vikings.
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Mixon injured his ankle on a hit from Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards that drew a $16,883 fine from the league for an illegal hip drop tackle.
Mixon’s injury was never regarded as a long-term issue, but he was sidelined against the Vikings due to a lack of ability to cut at optimal levels due to the ankle injury, according to league sources.
Wide receiver Tank Dell’s injuries aren’t regarded as long-term issues, but he is dealing with a lot of soreness, per sources.
Dell caught a season-high five passes for 62 yards on six targets in the Texans’ 34-7 loss, their first of the season.
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Dell entered Sunday with four receptions for 37 yards through two games. He caught one pass for minus-three yards on four targets in a win last week over the Bears,
Dell caught 47 passes for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games as a rookie last season before he broke his fibula.
With Dell sidelined, the Texans have a lot of depth at a position that includes Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Robert Woods and Metchie.
“It is hard to say, we haven’t had to deal with that this year, but we have other guys that are well-equipped,” Texans Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “But we love one of the best receivers in the league to be out there. Sadly, in this league, it is always next man up. We have to find a way to win a football game. We are praying for Tank, hope he is okay, and we know that hopefully he is trending up. But whatever happens. We have to be able to try to win.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 click2houston.com.
