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Texans have used record number of players in 2017

Houston Texans quarterback Tom Savage

Injuries and poor performances have buried the Houston Texans in 2017, and a new NFL record perfectly encapsulates the rough campaign.

According to Patrick Starr of Scout, the Texans have used 77 players during the current season. That number has eclipsed the previous record of 75, which the New York Jets set in 2016.

The biggest contributing factor, without question, is injuries. Houston lost key players J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus, Deshaun Watson and Will Fuller, among several other starters and rotational pieces. To date, Houston has 18 players on injured reserve.

Yes, that hasn’t helped the Texans and is a big reason they’re 4-11 this season. No, it’s not a comprehensive excuse for the team’s struggles.

Under center, for example, Houston moved on from Tom Savage and inserted T.J. Yates. And when he briefly exited the recent loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a concussion check, Taylor Heinicke stepped in. Most NFL teams only use two quarterbacks in a season; the Texans have called on four.

Injuries to skill-position players — Will Fuller, Braxton Miller and D’Onta Foreman, for example — have resulted in brief action for short-term replacements, particularly when absences overlapped.

And on defense, Houston has relied on a group effort to fill the voids Watt and Mercilus left. Plus, the unit has struggled overall, so the Texans have tried many options along the way — and might even use a couple more new players in Week 17.

Houston will be happy to move on from 2017.

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