Sources: Texans' Joe Mixon, Azeez Al-Shaair 'good to go' against Chiefs in playoff game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Texans Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair are ‘good to go,’ for a AFC divisional round playoff road game Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, according to league sources.

Mixon didn’t practice Thursday and Al-Shaair was limited in practice after being held out of one practice this week. Although both were listed as questionable on the official injury report, neither players’ status was regarded as a concern.

Mixon is a vital piece of the Texans’ offense, rushing for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season. He rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown in an AFC wild-card round playoff victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

If Mixon aggravates his ankle or is limited, the Texans would turn to backups Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale. Pierce has rushed for 293 yards and two touchdowns, including a career-high 178 yards with a 92-yard touchdown run in a regular-season finale against the Tennessee Titans. Ogunbowale is primarily utilized on special teams, rushing for 1112 yards and one touchdown and has caught 19 passes for 198 yards and one score.

The Texans elevated running back J.J. Taylor from the practice squad for depth and return ability as well as fullback Andrew Beck, who gives the offense some flexibility with his ability to operate as an in-line tight end or operate as a lead blocker in the backfield. Rookie tight end Cade Stover was placed on injured reserve with a broken collarbone and will undergo surgery. The Texans didn’t activate tight end Teagan Quitoriano from injured reserve-designated for return and he didn’t travel with the team. Quitoriano has made a full recovery from a strained calf, but hasn’t been getting reps with the offense in practice since his return to practice.

Texans offensive guards Juice Scruggs and Shaq Mason practiced for the second day in a row. Scruggs is listed with an ankle injury. Mason has returned from a Grade 2 sprained medial collateral ligament suffered last month against the Chiefs.

Both participated fully and have no injury designation. They split reps at right guard this week, per league sources.

Al-Shaair returned to practice Wednesday after being held out Tuesday due to a knee injury. He is officially listed as questionable and practiced the past two days.

Al-Shaair, a team captain and key leader for the AFC South champions’ is on track to play Saturday.

Al-Shaair played all but one play, 98 percent of the snaps against the Los Angeles Chargers as he missed one play Al-Shaair got checked out went right back in the game, finishing out the entire game with six tackles and two quarterback hits.

As a vocal leader, Al-Shaair is one of the team captains along with quarterback C.J. Stroud, defensive end Will Anderson Jr., running back Joe Mixon, long snapper Jon Weeks, left tackle Laremy Tunsil and safety Jimmie Ward.

“Azeez has been a great vocal leader,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He always shares a great message. He’s great at articulating those messages to the players and the players are really attentive when Azeez is talking. When Azeez talks to the team, it’ll always come from the heart. It’s heartfelt, it’s sincere and you can tell how much he cares about the guys just with his messages. So, I know it resonates with the guys and it’s what a team is about. When your team leaders are standing up giving the messages, they go a lot further than what I have to say because they know my messages don’t change. It’s the same thing from when we started in training camp to now.

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“We’re going to be consistent in messaging from me and what I expect of our guys because you want to – I believe in winning. It takes a certain way to win games and that doesn’t change from day one to where we are now. So, really thankful for Azeez and his leadership, thankful for C.J., Will, the guys who step up and lead when it comes to being vocal leaders. You need that. You need guys to do it the right way, but at times, players need to hear it from each other and it means a lot more when they do that. So, we have a lot of guys who aren’t afraid to speak up and speak their mind to each other and pour out their hearts to each other.”

Wide receiver Robert Woods remains sidelined with a hip injury, didn’t practice all week and is questionable. He’s regarded as a game-time decision.

Texans starting linebacker Christian Harris, limited to just seven plays on defense and four plays on special teams against the Chargers and one tackle, practiced Tuesday and was moving normally. Harris has been dealing with a lingering ankle injury, but is no longer listed on the injury report.

The Texans’ primary linebackers against the Chargers were Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o.

“Yeah, Christian is doing good,” Ryans said. “He’s working his way back. Again, Christian has missed a lot of football, a lot of time, so we’re working him back in slowly but surely. And Christian is a guy who’s been a team player.

“Whatever we’ve asked him to do, he’s been very diligent with what we ask him to do and wherever and however many reps he gets, he’s going to out and play his hardest, play his best. So, he’s continuing to do what he needs to do to help our team win.”

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READ MORE:

• ‘Getting a bike is like getting your first car,’ Texans host annual holiday bike giveaway for elementary school students
• Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud’s foundation, Bun B, Trill Burgers team up to benefit Lily’s Toy Box
• ‘All-Pro Sting,’ Texans corner Derek Stingley Jr. named AFC Defensive Player of the Week
• Texans officially activate guard Kenyon Green from injured reserve-designated for return
• ‘Flying around, sideline to sideline, like he hadn’t missed a beat,’ Texans’ Christian Harris productive in season debut
• ‘All we can do is be there for them’ Texans’ Tim Settle Jr. surprises kids at M.D. Anderson with presents, spreads cheer
• Texans’ Joe Mixon ‘came out fine’ after ankle injury: ‘We see that as a hip-drop tackle that didn’t get flagged’
• Texans’ new-look offensive line debuts with workable results, rookie Blake Fisher ‘held his own .. we had a solid game’

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com