Key Texans defender Kamari Lassiter's playoff readiness trumps Sunday's meaningless matchup, hinting at a crucial rest for crucial upcoming games.
According to multiple reports, Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter has yet to participate in any practices in the lead-up to their regular-season finale against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon. As such, the consensus is now that the team may be looking to just rest Lassiter and have him ready for their first Playoff opponent next week
The Iron Locksmith
Lassiter has played in every single game of the season thus far, nursing a foot injury throughout. After being temporarily knocked out of last Saturday's game vs. the Chargers with a knee injury, the injury concerns seemingly have just become too great to risk playing him in a next-to-meaningless week 18 matchup.
To get a clearer understanding of Lassiter's importance to Houston's defensive prowess, here are his stats through 17 games:
- His 91 total tackles are third-most on the team behind linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To'o To'o (leads all defensive backs).
- Most solo tackles on the team with 62.
- Tied with defensive end Derek Barnett for fourth-most tackles for loss with seven (leads all defensive backs).
- Leads the team in passes defended with 17.
- Tied for the team lead in interceptions with four.
In other words, Lassiter being effective for January football is of much more importance than a regular-season finale divisional game. Next to All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley, Lassiter's presence in coverage is vital to what Houston wants to do on a down-by-down basis. Which is, to create havoc and apply as much pressure as possible on the opposing offense.
Not only is he great at defending the pass, but the numbers say that he is one of the top tacklers on the team, if not the entire NFL. He's competing with defensive ends for pressure stats around the line of scrimmage, which is mind-boggling when you also consider his aforementioned responsibilities stopping wide receivers in the secondary.
Planning for the Future?
Many acknowledge that Lassiter could compete for the top cornerback spot on a number of different teams, That's what makes his tandem with Stingley that much more of a surplus for Houston. You have a shut-down corner on one side, and a physical pit-bull like dominator on the other.
Him being out for Sunday would definitely alter the game planning of defensive coordinator Matt Burke, but the Colts in their current state don't pose an overwhelming challenge for the defense to overcome.
With Lassiter being a second-round draft pick in 2024, it gives Houston two more years of runway to play with as they prepare to secure a number of premium players for the future (Will Anderson Jr., C.J. Stroud, etc.).
After the 2027 season, the Texans will have to decide whether or not Lassiter will factor into the next phase of their franchise building. He's definitely carved out a sizeable fan following across the NFL landscape, and his resume will only continue to grow the longer he's one of the engines for the best defense in the NFL.
Do you think resting Lassiter in week 18 is the best idea? Let us know in the comments section below and by mentioning us on X at @Texans_RTB!