Texans returning to Case Keenum with playoff hopes on the line

The Houston Texans have made it official. Rookie phenom C.J. Stroud will be missing his second consecutive game with a concussion he suffered back in Week 14 against the New York Jets.

The Texans will once again be starting veteran quarterback Case Keenum, who led the team to an overtime victory against the Tennessee Titans in Week 15.

Houston will have a lot on the line on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, who are currently the #5 seed in the AFC playoffs. The three top teams in the AFC South are all 8-6 entering Week 16 and the division race is shaping out to be a barn burning finish over the final three games.

It's not a long shot to say that Sunday's game against the Browns will be a must win scenario for the Texans. A lot is at stake for both teams in this matchup who are each looking to put an end to their current postseason droughts.

"That's always the goal every year is to make the playoffs and have a chance there at the end," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said on Monday. "That's the goal, and we want to make sure we achieve that goal. But, you focus on what you can control."

According to Next Gen Stats' playoff probability model, a win on Sunday would give the Texans a 72 percent chance to make the playoffs. A loss would drop the Texans playoff percentage down to 30 percent.

As for the Browns, a win on the road will give Cleveland a 99 percent chance to make the playoffs (a near clinching scenario). A loss in Houston would give the Browns a 78 percent chance of making it with two games left to play.

Simply put, a lot will be riding on the shoulders of the Texans veteran backup on Sunday. Keenum went 23-36 for 229 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Titans last Sunday while making his first start since Week 18, 2021 which was coincidentally with the Browns.

Keenum hasn't started two consecutive weeks since Weeks 7-8, 2019 while playing for Washington. To put that into perspective, Stroud was playing during his senior year of high school the last time Keenum buckled his chinstrap in back-to-back weeks.

Nevertheless, the Texans head coach continues to feel like Keenum is ready and the right player to step up for the team until Stroud returns.

"Case is just a true professional," Ryans said after the win over the Titans. "Even though he hasn't played in a while, he's ready for the moment. He let our guys know he was ready for the moment and he showed up and made big time plays for us."

Keenum will be having one extra bonus to help him out during his second start of the season on Sunday against the Browns. Wide receiver Nico Collins is expected to return to the lineup after missing the Week 15 win with a calf injury.

Collins practiced all week as a limited participant but was officially listed as questionable entering the weekend. The team's leading receiver said himself that he's ready to play and will be his normal explosive self on Sunday.

The Texans will also be looking for vengeance after dropping their last head-to-head matchup against the Browns back in Week 13, 2022. Multiple starters from both teams remember that game vividly and the Texans players will be looking to get back on the winning side of the matchup. Can they do so and keep their playoff hopes alive?