London Gets the Injury-Depleted Version of Houston

Jalen Pitre is out. David Montgomery is ruled out. The Texans are heading to London without two more contributors, and the list of players who have missed time this season is getting long enough that it's easier to count who's healthy.

This is the deepest the injury situation has cut since the cascading losses began in July. Henry To'oTo'o is already on injured reserve. Tank Dell is on injured reserve. Kayden McDonald is on injured reserve. Now the secondary and backfield take hits heading into a game played on foreign soil, where the travel alone adds a variable most teams would rather not absorb mid-season. Jalen Pitre's absence is the one that stings on defense — the safety position behind him is thin, and a Houston secondary that was already a concern before the season started doesn't get easier to manage with another piece missing.

The backfield situation is worth watching too. Woody Marks is active and healthy, which matters. But losing Montgomery removes a body from a room that will need to carry some of the offensive load while the receiver corps — rebuilt from scratch this summer and still integrating Marvin Harrison Jr. — continues to find its footing.

C.J. Stroud is active. The core is intact. But this team has been absorbing losses since training camp, and London is a tough place to absorb another one.