The Houston Texans are entering Week 4 with an 0-3 record, and their season is really coming down to what happens on Sunday. And while the primary constant for this team to this point has been the defense, that unit continues to get decimated.
First it was rookie cornerback Jaylin Smith, who was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Then it was the Texans releasing veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who at a minimum provided depth for the secondary.
Now comes the latest blow, which is Derek Stingley Jr., the centerpiece of this Houston secondary and the former top-three overall pick, who is dealing with an oblique injury that has kept him out of practice all week. He missed both Wednesday and Thursday sessions, and his status for Sunday’s divisional game against the Tennessee Titans is legitimately in question.
For a defense already very thin in the secondary, this is a huge concern, and the effects were felt even last week when he left the game early. That's a huge storyline entering Week 4.
Luckily for Houston, the Titans are a team the Texans should be able to beat, whether or not Stingley plays. While both teams sit at 0-3, the level of talent is much different from the records suggest.
Still, with this being a must-win scenario. No team has ever started 0-4 and made the playoffs since the league expanded to a 17-game schedule, so the pressure couldn’t be higher. The Texans should have the upper hand, but without Stingley, the secondary goes from a unit once considered a strength to one that could easily be exposed.
The Titans do have rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the recent No. 1 overall draft pick, and while their receiving corps isn’t elite, it’s still capable of making plays — especially against a banged-up secondary. For Houston, the challenge will be holding the line long enough for the offense to find some rhythm.
The Texans’ secondary is unraveling, but until Stingley returns, they’ll simply have to make do and hope the rest of the roster can rise to the occasion.