The 10th Sunday of the NFL season finishes up with the Houston Texans hosting the Detroit Lions. Here’s a look at the inactive list and likely starters for Sunday night’s game.
Detroit Lions vs. Houston Texans Inactives
Lions Designated as Out
- T Taylor Decker
- G Christian Mahogany
- T Giovanni Manu
- ILB Malcolm Rodriguez
- DE Za’Darius Smith
- G Colby Sorsdal
- SS Loren Strickland
Texans Designated as Out
- DE Will Anderson
- CB Myles Bryant
- WR Nico Collins
- ILB Jamal Hill
- RB Dameon Pierce
- T Zachary Thomas
Latest Injury Report News and Updates
The biggest injury news around this game surrounds Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins. The fourth-year pro led the NFL with 567 receiving yards at the time of his Week 5 hamstring injury but has missed four games on injured reserve.
Collins is eligible to return for this game, though he missed practice early in the week. The Texans could badly use his return, with Stefon Diggs out for the season following a torn ACL in Week 8. Coupled with offensive line injuries, C.J. Stroud has been under siege, taking a career-high eight sacks in Week 9’s loss to the New York Jets.
Houston will also be missing its best pass rusher in Anderson The second-year pro leads the team with 7.5 sacks but has been out of practice with an ankle injury.
On the other side, the Detroit Lions enter without too many short-term injuries. Trade deadline acquisition Za’Darius Smith is expected to make his Lions debut after arriving from the Cleveland Browns. The 32-year-old has five sacks in 2024 and could bolster a Lions edge rush group missing Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, and John Cominsky.
Who Comprises the Projected Starting Lineup for Each Team?
Lions Projected Starters
The projected starting lineup is based on the current Lions depth chart.
- Quarterback: Jared Goff
- Running Back: Jahmyr Gibbs
- Wide Receiver: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick
- Tight End: Sam LaPorta
- Left Tackle: Dan Skipper
- Left Guard: Graham Glasgow
- Center: Frank Ragnow
- Right Guard: Kevin Zeitler
- Right Tackle: Penei Sewell
- Left Defensive End: Za’Darius Smith
- Left Defensive Tackle: Levi Onwuzurike
- Right Defensive Tackle: Alim McNeill
- Right Defensive End: Josh Paschal
- Strongside Linebacker: Alex Anzalone
- Middle Linebacker: Jack Campbell
- Weakside Linebacker: Ben Niemann
- Cornerback: Carlton Davis III, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson
- Free Safety: Kerby Joseph
- Strong Safety: Brian Branch
- Punter: Jack Fox
- Kicker: Jake Bates
- Long Snapper: Hogan Hatten
- Kick Returner: Khalil Dorsey
- Punt Returner: Kalif Raymond
Texans Projected Starters
The projected starting lineup is based on the current Texans depth chart.
- Quarterback: C.J. Stroud
- Running Back: Joe Mixon
- Wide Receiver: Tank Dell, Robert Woods, Xavier Hutchinson
- Tight End: Dalton Schultz
- Left Tackle: Laremy Tunsil
- Left Guard: Kendrick Green
- Center: Juice Scruggs
- Right Guard: Shaq Mason
- Right Tackle: Tytus Howard
- Left Defensive End: Derek Barnett
- Left Defensive Tackle: Tim Settle Jr.
- Right Defensive Tackle: Foley Fatukasi
- Right Defensive End: Danielle Hunter
- Strongside Linebacker: Henry To’oTo’o
- Middle Linebacker: Neville Hewitt
- Weakside Linebacker: Jake Hansen
- Cornerback: Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre
- Free Safety: Eric Murray
- Strong Safety: Calen Bullock
- Punter: Tommy Townsend
- Kicker: Ka’imi Fairbairn
- Long Snapper: Jon Weeks
- Punt Returner: Steven Sims Jr.
- Kick Returner: Steven Sims Jr.