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The Houston Texans were hopeful that Will Fuller would be available on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills. To the dismay of Texans' fans, Fuller has been ruled out for the team's Wild Card matchup versus the Bills per James Palmer.
#Texans WR Will Fuller (groin) as expected, is OUT today vs the #bills today per source. This takes away a key strength of Deshaun Watson. His deep ball accuracy. Also DeAndre Hopkins sees fewer one on ones with Fuller on the field.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 4, 2020
Over the past week, there was an uncertainty that Fuller would be able to play for Houston in the first round of the playoffs. Just a few days ago, Bill O'Brien told reporters that the big-play wide receiver would be a game-time decision for the Texans.
Article Continues Below“I would say that that’ll be a game-time decision. I think we're going to practice today, we'll see how it goes today. He'll be out there today and then we'll do some more tomorrow and then we'll see how it goes.” – Bill O'Brien on Thursday.
Despite the optimism, Fuller didn't show enough progress to be ready for Saturday's contest. His absence from the offense could definitely be detrimental to Houston's efforts in advancing in the postseason.
In his fourth season in the NFL, Fuller corralled 49 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns. Injuries have caused the Notre Dame product to miss five games in 2019. Altogether, Fuller has been sidelined for 22 games due to injuries in his career thus far.
Most recently, Fuller has been recovering from a groin injury that he suffered in Week 16. Of course, a groin injury can be tricky for a wide receiver who relies on his speed to create separation.
Even when Fuller isn't catching passes, he provides the Texans with someone who can stretch the field. In addition, he garners the attention of a defense. There's no doubt that Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins are negatively affected by Fuller's inactive designation.
