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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Houston Texans (3-5) have won three of their last four games, dominating the Los Angeles Chargers 44-22 at SoFi Stadium in Week 9. But the Jacksonville Jaguars are still the kings of the AFC South.
The Jags are 6-2 and just brought in more talent, trading for Philadelphia Eagles' star defensive tackle Jordan Davis and Atlanta Falcons' All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III before the trade deadline on Tuesday. Jacksonville is clearly going all in for a Super Bowl, while Houston is two games below .500 with a tough schedule remaining, starting with the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns are 5-4 and equally hungry to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Unfortunately for the Texans, they'll be without four key starters for the game. All-Pro pass rusher Danielle Hunter (hamstring), Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (groin/personal), recently acquired wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (hamstring), and first-round guard Keylan Rutledge (neck/shoulder) have all been ruled out. Star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. (ankle), veteran running back David Montgomery (groin), and Super Bowl champion offensive tackle Trent Brown (wrist) are all listed as questionable as well.
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That is an absurd amount of big names to not have available for a crucial AFC showdown. Hunter and Al-Shaair will be the most difficult players to replace. Hunter has 19 total tackles (nine solo), three tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, four pass deflections, and four sacks in nine games, while Al-Shaair has a team-leading 68 total tackles (26 solo), one tackle for loss, three quarterback hits, and three pass deflections in seven games.
Montgomery has already missed the last three games and has been overtaken in the backfield by Woody Marks, so his absence won't be as noticeable, and the Texans have enough depth at receiver to make up for the loss of Harrison, including Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Kayshon Boutte, and Xavier Hutchinson. Being without potentially two starting offensive linemen in Rutledge and Brown isn't a great sign for C.J. Stroud, though, who's benefited from better protection this year.
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Defense will be the biggest concern, especially if Anderson, who's in the middle of a career year with an NFL-leading 9.5 sacks, also can't go.
Thankfully, the Browns have one of the worst passing attacks in football, averaging just 201 passing yards per game (fifth-lowest mark in the NFL). Denzel Boston, Cleveland's leading receiver, is also listed as questionable for the game with a toe injury.
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