After beating the Las Vegas Raiders, the Jacksonville Jaguars will try to win their second game in a row when they play the Houston Texans in Week 10. They're a 1.5-point favorite after quarterback C.J. Stroud was ruled out for the divisional matchup with a concussion. But even then, coming out on top won't be easy.
After all, the game will be at NRG Stadium, so Houston will have an edge by virtue of being the home team. On top of that, the Texans have the top-ranked defense in the NFL ahead of the game.
Working in the Jags' favor is that Houston will be shorthanded for the game. Aside from Stroud, the Texans also ruled out safety Jalen Pitre, kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn, offensive guard Ed Ingram, offensive tackle Tytus Howard, linebacker Christian Harris, and fullback Jakob Johnson. That said, Jacksonville will also be without a handful of key players.
The biggest absence will be wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who suffered an ankle sprain in the win over the Raiders and didn't practice ahead of Week 10. Sure, the sophomore receiver has been underwhelming this season, but his presence gives the offense an element of verticality. Without him, the coaching staff will need to resort to creative playcalling to challenge the top of the Houston secondary.
Apart from Thomas, the Jags have already ruled out Jourdan Lewis and Ezra Cleveland. Jarrian Jones and Cole Van Lanen will fill in for them at nickel and left guard, respectively. Tight end Hunter Long will also miss the bout, and Johnny Mundt will get the start at tight end. On the bright side, linebacker Devin Lloyd is back after missing the past two games with a calf injury. The defense should get a much-needed boost. Similarly, wide receiver Tim Patrick is a full-go after dealing with a groin injury.
But despite Patrick's return and the arrival of Jakobi Meyers via trade, the Jaguars are promoting Tim Jones from the practice squad to the active roster for the second straight week via standard elevation. He'll contribute on special teams and the offense. With this in mind, here are the inactives for the game.
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Brian Thomas Jr. leads the Jaguars inactives for the Texans game
As noted before, the Jags ruled out Brian Thomas Jr., Ezra Cleveland, Jourdan Lewis, and Hunter Long. All four are inactives.
• Brian Thomas Jr., wide receiver
• Ezra Cleveland, left guard
• Jourdan Lewis, cornerback
• Hunter Long, tight end
• Cody Schrader, running back
• Austin Johnson, defensive tackle