Tunsil has been dealing with a persistent knee injury that kept him sidelined each of the past two weeks. The three-time Pro Bowler has been a stalwart on the left side of Houston's offensive line over the past five seasons, so his absence will leave quarterback C.J. Stroud without perhaps his best offensive lineman against Pittsburgh's hounding defensive front. With Josh Jones (hand) also expected to sit out Week 4, it's likely that Houston may opt to elevate someone from the practice squad to help supplement this depleted offensive line.
Heavy on Texans
Houston Texans news, schedule & stats.
Houston Texans
AFC South (1-2, 2nd place)
Latest Texans alerts
Texans regular season schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9/10 | L 9-25 | 0-1 | |
| 2 | 9/17 | L 20-31 | 0-2 | |
| 3 | 9/24 | W 37-17 | 1-2 |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time | TV | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 10/1 |
1:00 PM
|
CBS |
NRG Stadium
|
|
| 5 | 10/8 |
1:00 PM
|
FOX |
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
|
|
| 6 | 10/15 |
1:00 PM
|
FOX |
NRG Stadium
|
|
| 7 | BYE | ||||
| 8 | 10/29 |
1:00 PM
|
FOX |
Bank of America Stadium
|
|
| 9 | 11/5 |
1:00 PM
|
CBS |
NRG Stadium
|
|
| 10 | 11/12 |
1:00 PM
|
CBS |
Paycor Stadium
|
|
| 11 | 11/19 |
1:00 PM
|
CBS |
NRG Stadium
|
|
| 12 | 11/26 |
1:00 PM
|
CBS |
NRG Stadium
|
|
| 13 | 12/3 |
4:05 PM
|
CBS |
NRG Stadium
|
|
| 14 | 12/10 |
1:00 PM
|
CBS |
MetLife Stadium
|
|
| 15 | 12/17 |
1:00 PM
|
CBS |
Nissan Stadium
|
|
| 16 | 12/24 |
1:00 PM
|
CBS |
NRG Stadium
|
|
| 17 | 12/31 |
1:00 PM
|
FOX |
NRG Stadium
|
|
| 18 | TBD |
TBD
|
TBD |
Lucas Oil Stadium
|
|
More from Heavy on Texans
![Colts’ Quenton Nelson Goes Viral for Heartfelt Gesture While in Houston [LOOK]](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1422878763.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=425)
Loading more stories
Tunsil has been dealing with a persistent knee injury that kept him sidelined each of the past two weeks. The three-time Pro Bowler has been a stalwart on the left side of Houston's offensive line over the past five seasons, so his absence will leave quarterback C.J. Stroud without perhaps his best offensive lineman against Pittsburgh's hounding defensive front. With Josh Jones (hand) also expected to sit out Week 4, it's likely that Houston may opt to elevate someone from the practice squad to help supplement this depleted offensive line.
Jones appears to have picked up a hand issue during or after the Week 3 victory versus Jacksonville. With the fourth-year veteran now likely to sit out, expect rookie Nick Broeker to step in as Houston's starting left guard against Pittsburgh.
Pitre is trying to return after missing the last two games with a bruised lung he sustained in Week 1. Veterans M.J. Stewart and Eric Murray have been picking up the slack at safety in Pitre's absence.
Perryman missed last week's upset win over the Jaguars. He played 100 percent of the defensive snaps in Week 2 against the Colts, so it's unclear when he was actually injured. Perryman has 18 tackles through two contests. Christian Harris, Blake Cashman and Henry To'oTo'o started at linebacker for Houston last week.
After recording 10 tackles and a forced fumble while playing every snap on defense in the Texans' Week 2 loss to the Colts, Stewart moved back into a reserve role Sunday with Eric Murray and Jimmie Ward making their returns from injury. Though he played only four snaps on defense Week 3, Stewart's role could become further reduced Sunday against the Steelers if fellow safety Jalen Pitre (chest) is able to return from a two-game absence.
Pitre's hoping to return to action Sunday against the Steelers after missing Houston's past two games. If Pitre's able to play against Pittsburgh, he would likely reclaim the starting free safety role. M.J. Stewart got most of the snaps at the position in Week 2, while Eric Murray took over for most of Week 3.
Griffin stepped in as a starter only after Derek Stingley (hamstring) was placed on Houston's injured reserve list, and he made the most of his expanded role off the bat. He tied for the team lead in tackles in Week 3, and at least for now looks like a worthy fill-in for his injured teammate.