The Houston Texans are heading towards their biggest game of the season: a divisional matchup with the Jaguars that could reshape their small playoff chances, and they’ll have to do it without their starting quarterback, CJ Stroud, after he suffered a concussion last week against the Broncos. Stroud’s mother offered a heartfelt update this week.

“He is progressing day by day. Of course, he wants to play. But he’s doing better each day,” mom Kimberly said. “I just wanna thank everyone for their prayers, their outpour of love for my son… It’s been amazing. It made me know that people do see him beyond the field.”

It was an emotional moment for a mother who’s usually seen her son bounce right back. And the hit that caused the concussion was a hard one. Denver corner Kris Abrams-Draine took Stroud down, and his head snapped against the turf. At first, officials threw a flag for unnecessary roughness, but they later picked it up. Stroud walked off on his own but didn’t return.

For Kimberly, this is still somewhat uncharted territory. CJ Stroud hasn’t missed much time since entering the league. The only other instance came late in his rookie season, when another concussion sidelined him for two games, right as he was finishing off a remarkable run that ended with him winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.

As for when he might be back, there’s still no clear answer. CJ Stroud remains in the concussion protocol, and he didn’t take part in Wednesday’s practice. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has already ruled him out for Sunday’s matchup with Jacksonville, meaning backup Davis Mills will get the nod again.

Texans to turn to backup Davis Mills

Davis Mills got plenty of work last week after Stroud went down, and he held his own. He finished 17-of-30 for 137 yards in a game Houston ultimately dropped to Denver, 18-15. The numbers won’t jump out, but Mills looked calm and in control for most of the afternoon. The problem wasn’t him. It was everything that happened once the Texans crossed midfield.

Houston just couldn’t finish drives. They had two goal-to-go chances and came away with nothing. Three trips inside the red zone, zero touchdowns. You can’t do that in a close game and expect to win. And it wasn’t as if things suddenly fell apart when Mills came in. It was the same story all game long.

On their first possession, they lined up for a 51-yard field goal and missed. The next time down the field, they reached first-and-goal. Three straight runs got stuffed, a false start pushed them back, and they settled for a short field goal. Then, midway through the second quarter, another trip inside the five. Two cracks from the two-yard line, and nothing yet again.

And that’s the challenge now for Mills. Against Trevor Lawrence and a Jaguars offense that can put up points in bunches, field goals won’t cut it. Houston needs to close drives. But Mills seems ready.

“Obviously, I’m ready. That’s kinda how I prepare week in and week out. I’ve always had the mindset that you can play at any given snap,” he said, as he prepares for a pivotal matchup.