Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien says running back Lamar Miller’s chances of playing in Week 17 against the Jacksonville Jaguars are “trending upward,” according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Bill O'Brien on Lamar Miller if he'll be back this week: 'I think he's got a chance. Trending upwards.'
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 24, 2018
Miller suffered an ankle injury in the Texans’ 29-22 win over the New York Jets in Week 15. He then missed their Week 16 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Running backs Alfred Blue and D’Onta Foreman filled in for Miller and were complete non-factors. Blue had just 14 yards on 4 carries, while Foreman had -1 yard on his seven totes. Although, Deshaun Watson had 49 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Miller is having another strong season with the Texans. He’s got 917 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 13 games, while his 4.8 yards per carry is his highest since 2014.
The Texans still have a shot at getting a first-round bye if they beat the lowly Jags, and Miller’s potential presence will do their chances of claiming victory a lot of good.
Miller will be needed even more following the loss of veteran wide receiver Demaryius Thomas due to an Achilles injury. That leaves the Texans short of reliable playmakers beyond star wideout DeAndre Hopkins.
However, Houston must also be wary of preventing Miller from aggravating his ankle injury, especially with the playoffs set to begin in just a few weeks' time.
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