Nick

Chubb

Chubb departed in the second quarter and did not return following the half, with the team ruling him out for the remainder of the game. It’ll be the Woody Marks show in the Houston backfield for the remainder of the game. Chubb managed just three yards on one carry prior to departing.

Marks left Week 13’s game with a foot injury but did eventually return. He finished the day with 19 attempts for 64 yards. This could just be a rest day for a banged-up player. It could also be an indication that Marks was running on adrenaline on Sunday and may be more injured than he or the team thought. Tomorrow’s practice report will be more informative. Nick Chubb would take over the Houston backfield if Marks misses Week 14, though it would be hard to treat him as anything other than a low-end RB3 versus the Chiefs.

Chubb powered through a Colts safety at the goal line on a sweep to the offense’s left side to score his first touchdown since Week 5. The Texans briefly threatened to use Chubb in a Wildcat package at the goal line before it was flagged for illegal formation — we’re not sure if the Texans did anything wrong or if the NFL intervened to make sure nobody ever did that again. Chubb probably won’t get as much red zone usage again unless Woody Marks pops up on the injury report ahead of Week 14. He’s only a deep-league FLEX candidate against the Chiefs.

Mixon will remain on the PUP list for the remainder of the season. For what it’s worth, Mixon responded on X: The Everything App by asking “Ian how do you know more about me than me?” with a definitely-not-mad thinkingface emoji. The veteran back popped up with a mysterious foot injury during the offseason that landed him in a walking boot. Reports indicated that he would be back quickly, but that never materialized and his hypothetical return date was kicked down the road time and time again. Texans GM Nick Caserio continued to give non-answers on Mixon’s stats throughout the season, foreshadowing this outcome. Mixon is under contract for one more year, but the Texans can save $8.5 million by cutting him in the offseason. That seems like an inevitability after a lost season for the 29-year-old. Woody Marks will lead the backfield going forward while Nick Chubb will be in the mix as a backup.

He played 18 of Houston’s 70 snaps per the early PFF data. The Woody Marks takeover was real, but Chubb looked like a better fit for the running style the Titans were demanding the Texans play with this week. He probably can be dropped in shallow leagues at this point after just nine touches in the last two games.

He added a five-yard catch on his only target. Chubb played just 10 snaps, so this is a bailout for anyone forced to start him. A matchup against Tennessee’s run defense should be a boost for Houston’s running game, and assuming the foot injury that haunted him on the injury report isn’t dire, Chubb could be a usable FLEX in Week 11.

He’ll take his normal load as Houston’s RB1. The Texans will probably try to lean on the run more than usual against the Jaguars with Davis Mills under center, but unless they catch an early lead, it’s hard to see Chubb returning more than touchdown-or-bust FLEX value this week.

Chubb is probably in line to remain the starter over Woody Marks for Houston’s do-nothing run attack in Week 10. Dameon Pierce (personal) was also limited today, and should that linger on it would likely force the Texans to get deeper into their bench if Chubb can’t go on Sunday.

If Chubb misses any time, the Texans could finally be forced to turn to Woody Marks as their workhorse back. They flirted with the idea earlier in the season but have since doubled down on Chubb’s role as the grinder. Marks hasn’t seen more than 11 carries in a game since Week 4. He is now the top add this week for leagues that have yet to run waivers.

At 29 years old, with myriad knee injuries on his record, Chubb is more than qualified to take Wednesday off as a rest day. He has, however, not yet missed a single practice this season. This could ultimately be a non-issue, but fellow Texans RB Woody Marks remains available in some leagues. Adding him is worthwhile, just in case Chubb picked up an as-yet-unreported injury. Stay tuned.