The Houston Texans were hopeful that running back Joe Mixon would be cleared for Sunday’s road game against the Minnesota Vikings.
As the team departs for Minneapolis, Houston must put its trust in veteran Cam Akers as the new lead back.
Mixon, who suffered an ankle injury due to an illegal hip-drop tackle in Week 2’s win over the Chicago Bears, is listed as doubtful for Week’s matchup against the undefeated Vikings.
He’s currently listed as week-to-week moving into Week 4’s AFC South divisional matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Texans are listing running back Joe Mixon as doubtful for Sunday’s game versus the Vikings due to his ankle injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 20, 2024
Fellow running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring) was ruled out on Friday’s injury report.
Mixon set the tone in Houston’s 29-27 win over Indianapolis with 159 rushing yards and a touchdown. He won AFC Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 5.3 yards per attempt.
During the third quarter of Sunday’s home opener, Chicago linebacker T.J. Edwards used his body to bring down Mixon. Earlier this offseason, the NFLPA banned the tackling technique because of the higher-than-normal injury rate it causes.
The Texans plan to send the video to the league office for further review after officials ruled it a clean hit. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after further review, it was clear Edwards turned his body to make the illegal hit.
Akers, a former second-round pick out of Florida State, took over for Mixon in the fourth quarter. He rushed for 32 yards on seven carries, but also had a fumble.
Joe Mixon ankle injury on a hip controversial tackle #NFL pic.twitter.com/wDDSJvsSxL
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) September 16, 2024
As one of the top preseason stars, Akers proved to be a valuable asset for Houston’s ground game in August. Injuries have derailed his promising career. In 2021, he suffered an Achilles tear as a member of the Rams.
After being traded to Minnesota last season, he suffered a second Achilles tear in early November.
Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said he remained confident in Akers, given his knowledge of the offensive personnel from his time in Los Angeles and Minnesota.
“He’s been running — ran zone scheme he came from — he did the same thing in Minnesota,” Slowik said Thursday. “He’s really good at reading that, we call it riding the wave, finding the right hole to hit. He always plays under control. When he sees it, he hits it. He finishes physical. And he has really good contact balance and I’d say those are the things that jump out with Cam.”
