Texans running back Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, Juice Scruggs not practicing, Cam Akers on deck in backfield

HOUSTON – Texans Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon isn’t practicing Wednesday and is regarded as day-to-day after he injured his ankle on a hit from Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards on Sunday night at NRG Stadium with no penalty called.

Mixon’s injury isn’t regarded as long term, but it’s increasingly likely he may be sidelined for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, according to league sources.

“Yeah, we’ll take it day by day with Joe and his injury and see where he ends up at the end of the week,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Still holding out hope that he can make it.”

Backup running back Cam Akers took the first-team snaps Wednesday with running back Dameon Pierce sidelined with a mild strained hamstring that kept him out of the Chicago game. Pierce is regarded as close to returning, per a league source.

A former starter for the Los Angeles Rams and second-round draft pick from Florida State, Akers rushed for 32 yards on seven carries with one lost fumble against the Bears.

Akers rushed for 138 yards and one touchdown in six games last season for the Vikings before tearing his Achilles tendon and has made a complete recovery.

“Cam has run the ball well, as we’ve seen.,” Ryans said. “He did a good job for us, so we’ll see where Cam is as we go throughout the week as well.”

Meanwhile, starting center Juice Scruggs and backup center Jarrett Patterson worked out on the side with trainers. Scruggs, who missed the Chicago game with a groin injury, is expected to return this week, barring a setback. The Texans signed center Scott Quessenberry to the practice squad and have Kendrick Green poised to step in if Scruggs and Patterson are unavailable. Patterson’s calf injury isn’t regarded as serious.

“Yeah, we would love to get Juice out there and get some time with all these different looks that they’re presenting,” Ryans said. “For me, you have to practice well to play well in the game, so it’s very important to try to get out and practice.”

Texans Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud played with several centers last season, including Patterson and Quessenberry. He’s accustomed to adjusting on the fly.

“Last year, I had the chance to have three centers and now I’m on my third center in Week 3 and I hope J Pat and Juice are fine,” Stroud said. “We’ll see what happens, but it’s next man up. Got to go out there and win a football game. So, I’m a big believer in KG. I think Kendrick has a lot of great upside. He’s really fast, quick, mobile, strong. I’ve been working with him since he got here last year, so I see us not slowing down.”

Several players didn’t practice Wednesday, including wide receiver Nico Collins (hip, foot), Mixon, whom coach DeMeco Ryans said the team hasn’t given up hope that he plays Sunday, along with cornerback Kris Boyd (hip), defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi (shoulder), Scruggs, Patterson and Pierce.

Collins is expected to play against the Vikings.

Limited for the Texans on Wednesday: linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (shin), tight end Dalton Schultz (ankle) and safety M.J. Stewart (knee-quadriceps). All three of those players are expected to play.

The Texans have reviewed video of the play and regard Edwards’ hit as an illegal hip-drop tackle, which was outlawed by the NFL due to a high rate of injury. Now, the Texans are submitting the play to the league office for review. Edwards could be subject to a $16,883 fine from the NFL, if it’s his first offense. A second violation results in a $22,511 fine.

Mixon left the Texans’ 19-13 win under his own power, limping into the blue medical tent before going to the locker room briefly for more examination. Mixon had a magnetic resonance imaging exam Monday, which revealed no structural damage.

“With the tackle, in my mind, it is definitely considered the hip drop when a defender unweights himself, and he puts all his weight on the runner’s legs,” Ryans said during his weekly Monday press conference at NRG Stadium. “You see why we want to get the hip-drop tackle out of the game because it causes a lot of injuries when it happens. The hip-drop tackle doesn’t happen much, but the percentage of injury when it does happen is very high and you saw that there with Joe and his ankle.

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“The defender landed on his ankle. So, tough spot to be in. We all want to coach it better on defenders. That is why you want to put your body in front and tackle guys in front and not reaching from behind, and the defender is in a bad spot there. He’s trying to get Joe down and the only way when you’re in a bad spot, the only way, is to unweight yourself and you put your weight off on his leg. So, unfortunate that that happened to Joe.”

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Mixon, who rushed for one yard on one carry before being taken back out of the game and replaced by Cam Akers, who rushed for a team-high 32 yards on seven carries and lost a fumble on an unflagged helmet-to-helmet shot in the red zone, finished the game with nine carries for 25 yards. He caught three passes for 25 yards one week after rushing for 159 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 30 carries.

“The NFL and NFLPA made it a rule and an emphasis for a reason,” Mixon wrote on social media after the game. “Time to put your money where your mouth is. When I got up, I asked the ref where is the flag that was a hip tackle. & his reply was no it wasn’t.”

The Texans rushed for just 3.4 yards per carry, gaining 75 yards on 22 carries one week after Mixon averaged 5.3 yards per run against the Colts.

“Losing Joe was tough for our offense,” Ryans said. “The production that Joe had the first week was beneficial. He was key to our success in the first week.”

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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 click2houston.com.