Houston Texans: Several storylines to follow through the bye week

The Houston Texans have won their sixth consecutive game going into the bye week, and are in prime position for a playoff berth.

Nine games into the regular season, the Houston Texans have won their last six games, and are looking forward to plenty of good news following this bye week. Not only are players given a break from an intense nine weeks, but players that are injured are able to refuel and recover.

Texans missed the absences of cornerback Jonathan Joseph and inside linebacker Zach Cunningham when they narrowly defeated the Denver Broncos due to a missed field goal by Broncos kicker Brandon McManus late in the fourth quarter.

Rookie outside linebacker Duke Ejiofor suffered a shoulder injury early against the Broncos, he’s been an impressive defender as a rookie and he has earned a spot in the rotation to get after the quarterback on third downs. The Texans are hoping to see defensive backs Andre Hal and Aaron Colvin join the team soon after dealing with injuries of their own.

The offense, in particular, could really benefit from this bye week as their offensive line was banged up in their last game against the Broncos.

Left guard Senio Kelemete has been playing through a leg injury and right tackle Kendall Lamm was involved in a frightful incident in which several players collided behind him resulting in him getting rolled up. Lamm was cleared to return after missing a few snaps, but both player’s health is vital in the long-term for the offense as they have begun to put together several good games as a collective unit.

Rookie wide receiver Keke Coutee has been an integral part of the Texans passing game, so this bye week will be great for him to continue to rehabilitate from the soft tissue injuries that have nagged him this entire season.

A decision could also be made soon of running back D’Onta Foreman as they get to evaluate where he stands during the bye week. Newly acquired wide receiver Demaryius Thomas will have a whole week to continue to learn Texans’ offense.

The Texans couldn’t have asked for a better time to evaluate the status of the health of their player’s and incorporating recent acquisitions into the fold. After the bye week, the Texans will travel to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Redskins in FedEx Field.