B-Mac to have season-ending shoulder surgery. Alex McGough is cut from the Practice Squad (again), making room for LB Kyle Emmanuel who was signed from the Raiders practice squad. Deshaun Watson nominated for FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week.

Report: Texans ILB Benardrick McKinney done for the season with a shoulder injury
By Mark Lane, TexansWire

Excerpt: The Houston Texans inside linebacker corps has taken a hit to its leadership and on-field ability.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, Pro Bowl inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney will undergo shoulder surgery, which will knock him out for the rest of 2020. The club is expected to place McKinney on injured reserve.

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Texans sign Kyle Emanuel off Raiders’ practice squad
By Charean Williams, ProFootballTalk

Excerpt: The Texans signed linebacker Kyle Emanuel off the Raiders’ practice squad, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Emanuel reunites with Texans inside linebackers coach Bobby King, who was an assistant with the Chargers when Emanuel was drafted.

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Texans QB Deshaun Watson nominated for FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week
By Mark Lane, TexansWire

Excerpt: Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has been named a finalist for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week for his performance in Sunday’s 30-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium.

Watson completed 25 of 35 pass attempts for 359 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 109.1 passer rating, helping the Texans to their first win of the season in Week 5.

Brandin Cooks becomes un-invisible with 8 receptions for 161 yards and a 28-yard TD catch on a 4th and 5 play to put the game out of the Jaguars reach. Next up: A trip to Nashville…maybe.

Texans 30, Jaguars 14: Postgame News

Deshaun Watson says Texans’ goal was to get WR Brandin Cooks going early
By Mark Lane, TexansWire

Excerpt: According to quarterback Deshaun Watson, one of the big parts of the game plan was to involve Cooks was the start.

“I know Cooky didn’t have a catch last week so we wanted to get him going early,” said Watson, who threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon. “He had a big day, made some big-time catches. But that’s what we wanted to do, just kind of set the tone from the jump and get myself in a rhythm because as far as I go, the offense goes.”

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4th down gamble comes up big for Texans
By Drew Dougherty, HoustonTexans.com

This article needs to be read! Lots of great quotes from RAC, Cooks, Watson, and Roby.

Excerpt: Romeo Crennel wanted five yards.

Brandin Cooks gave him six points.

Leading Jacksonville, 23-14, with 4:46 remaining in regulation, the Texans faced a 4th-and-4 at the Jaguars’ 28-yard line. Crennel, in his first game as Houston’s interim head coach, could’ve easily sent kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn on to attempt a 45-yard field goal. Instead, Crennel wanted to move the chains, so he put Deshaun Watson and his offense back on the field.

Watson found Cooks over the middle, and the veteran receiver blazed into the end zone for a touchdown. Fairbairn’s extra point staked the Texans to a 30-14 advantage with 4:39 left in the game.

“All I was trying to do was get the first down because it was a two-score game,” Crennel said. “And the field goal, even though it would have put points on the board, potentially it might not have made a difference if they had gone down and scored. And so I wanted to try to get that done and kind of put it out of reach and make it much tougher for them to have a chance to come back.”