HOUSTON – Texans standout cornerback Kamari Lassiter is expected to return from knee and ankle injuries for a Monday night road playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, per league sources.
Lassiter didn’t practice Thursday, which follows a trend of him being rested during the week and then playing in the game. The Texans have a plan of managing Lassiter and other injured players throughout the week.
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After practice, Lassiter told KPRC 2 he’s good to go for the AFC wild-card round playoff game and emphasized he could have played last week in the regular-season finale.
“Yes sir,” Lassiter said when asked if he’ll be ready for Monday night. “It’s kind of give and take. In my head, if I can walk, if I can talk, I can play. It’s kind of that gray line between protecting yourself from yourself. And that’s all it was, and I appreciate it.”
Lassiter refused to leave a game against the Los Angeles Chargers despite the knee injury.
Rested against the Indianapolis Colts, Lassiter is still working his way back to 100 percent after dealing with multiple injuries this season and still intercepting four passes. The Pro Bowl alternate told coach DeMeco Ryans there was no way he was coming out of the game, a victory that clinched a playoff berth.
Several players didn’t practice in addition to Lassiter: running back Jawhar Jordan (high-ankle sprain), right tackle Tytus Howard (ankle) and defensive end Denico Autry (knee). Howard told KPRC 2 it was a rest situation for the most part and added he’ll be fine for the game.
The Texans officially designated rookie safety Jaylen Reed for return and he practiced for the first time since aggravating a forearm injury against the Indianapolis Colts and undergoing surgery.
“Excited to have Jaylen back’,” said Ryans, who added that they will continue to evaluate Reed throughout the week before making a final decision on his status for the playoff game.
Reed recovered from a broken metal plate inside his forearm that required surgery and is being designated for return, per sources. Reed was named a starter after recording 11 tackles and a fumble recovery against the Buffalo Bills. He got hurt in a road game against the Indianapolis Colts, aggravating an injury he sustained at Penn State.
Reed is a former second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection who has a hard-hitting presence. He had eight solo tackles with one more on special teams against the Bills.
The Texans have until Monday to activate Reed. Safety has been a revolving door opposite Pro Bowl alternate Calen Bullock, going from C.J. Gardner-Johnson, cut after a series of behind the scenes issues and not fitting into the defensive scheme, M.J. Stewart, out for season with a torn quadriceps tendon, Reed, then Myles Bryant, benched for missing tackles against the Las Vegas Raiders and K’Von Wallace, who was released and is now back on the practice squad.
Lassiter recorded 91 tackles during the regular season, seven for losses and 17 passes defensed. Playing opposite All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr., Lassiter gets targeted more frequently. He has more than held up in single coverage, allowing 56 catches on 97 targets for 690 yards and five scores with an average passer rating against him of 79.8.
His aggressive tackling style sets Lassiter apart.
“It’s a unique skill set and a unique talent that he brings, and I would say that that’s pretty rare in a corner and the way he plays,” Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “He’s a want-to tackler, not a need-to. If you need to make a tackle, they do it, but he’s a want-to tackler. He wants to get in there.
“He wants to stick his face on things. He wants to be physical. He craves that and that’s not a common skill in that position. I think it’s, again, that’s part of the culture in the den that we’ve built. He’s at the forefront of that for sure.”
As the Texans prepare to face the Steelers, Jordan is dealing with a high-ankle sprain, due to league sources, suffered Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts on an apparent hip-drop tackle. His recovery time is undetermined.
The Texans primary running back is rookie Woody Marks and he’ll be backed up by veteran Nick Chubb, British Brooks, who had a strong game against the Colts with a career-high 63 yards, and Dare Ogunbowale.
Texans offensive tackle Trent Brown has missed the past two games with knee and ankle injuries. He is still not fully recovered and his status for Monday remains up in the air.
If Brown can’t go, Howard would likely play right tackle again with Jarrett Patterson at left guard.
Signed to a three-year, $4.95 million contract that included a $243,800 signing bonus, Reed intercepted three passes last season for the Nittany Lions and recorded 98 tackles with one forced fumble.
Backup linebacker Jamal Hill, a special-teams standout, returned to practice from a calf injury that sidelined him the past few games.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com