Minor NFL Transactions:
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted from practice squad: QB Drew Anderson
- Placed on IR: TE Darrell Daniels
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Donovan Olumba
- Waived: S Josh Jones
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: CB Tony Brown
Houston Texans
- Promoted from practice squad: OL Elijah Nkansah
- Waived: DE Joel Heath
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Skai Moore
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: RB John Kelly
- Placed on IR: RB Darrell Henderson
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Garrett Dickerson
- Placed on IR: TE Scott Simonson
New York Jets
- Claimed off waivers: TE Ross Travis
- Promoted from practice squad: OL Ben Braden
- Placed on IR: OL Tom Compton, OL Alex Lewis
Texans Extend P Bryan Anger
Bryan Anger has secured a long-term deal. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Texans have signed the punter to a three-year extension. The deal is worth $7.5MM, per Mark Berman of Fox 26 (on Twitter).
Anger immediately made a name for himself when the Jaguars selected the California product in the third round of the 2012 draft (that was the highest a punter had been drafted since Todd Sauerbrun in 1995). Anger earned a number of rookie honors in 2012, but he never emerged as one of the league’s top punters during his four-year stint in Jacksonville.
After spending three seasons with the Buccaneers, Anger signed with the Texans this past offseason. He was cut by the team at the end of the preseason, but he re-signed with the squad in mid-September. The 31-year-old has proceeded to appear in 13 games for Houston, averaging 46.2-yards on his 40 punts. His 44 opponent return yards is by far the lowest mark of his career.
Texans, Whitney Mercilus Agree To Extension
The Texans will keep Whitney Mercilus in the fold on another extension. The eighth-year edge defender agreed to terms on a four-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
This agreement will mark a considerable raise for Mercilus, with Fox 26’s Mark Berman reporting (via Twitter) it is worth $53.5MM and comes with $28.5MM guaranteed. At $13.38MM per year, Mercilus will head into his age-30 season making more than double what he was over the past four years. He signed a four-year, $26MM deal in 2015. Mercilus said over the summer he wanted to remain in Houston, and the Texans convinced him to again bypass free agency to stay.
Mercilus’ second Houston contract was up at season’s end, but he will now join J.J. Watt as the primary members of the Texans’ edge-rushing group going into the 2020s. Previously operating as the team’s third-highest-profile pass rusher — behind Watt and Jadeveon Clowney — Mercilus has been thrust into a lead role down the stretch of this season.
While the Texans have struggled to generate sacks since Watt’s injury, Mercilus came through with two in last week’s AFC South-clinching win over the Buccaneers. The 29-year-old outside linebacker had previously gone seven games without a sack but now has 7.5 on the season — 3.5 more than he registered in 2018.
The Texans asked Mercilus to drop into coverage more frequently in 2018, leading to limited opportunities at sacks. But the Illinois alum has now posted four seasons with at least seven QB drops, peaking in 2015 with a 12-sack slate. Mercilus’ 50 sacks are third-most in Texans history — behind Watt (96) and Mario Williams (53).
With the Texans having traded Clowney after delaying an extension for years, they have identified the player they would like to be Watt’s top sidekick for the foreseeable future.
NFL Playoff Scenarios For Week 17
The final week of the regular season is upon us.
Here’s the official rundown of NFL playoff scenarios as we get set for Week 17:
AFC
Clinched:
Ravens – AFC North division & home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs
Texans – AFC South division
Chiefs – AFC West division
Patriots – AFC East division
Bills – playoff berth
Chiefs clinch a first-round bye with:
Chiefs win + Patriots loss
New England clinches a first-round bye with:
Patriots win or tie OR
Chiefs loss or tie
Raiders clinch a playoff berth with:
Raiders win + Steelers loss + Titans loss + Colts win + Raiders clinch strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Steelers*
*Raiders clinch strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Steelers if ONE of the following teams win or tie:
Bears, Lions, Chargers, or Patriots
Steelers clinch a playoff berth with:
Steelers win + Titans loss or tie OR
Steelers tie + Titans loss OR
Titans loss + Colts win + Raiders loss or tie OR
Titans loss + Colts win + Steelers tie Raiders in strength-of-victory tiebreaker*
*Steelers ties Raiders in strength-of-victory tiebreaker if ALL of the following teams win:
Vikings, Packers, Chiefs, and Dolphins
Titans clinch a playoff berth with:
Titans win OR
Titans tie + Steelers loss or tie OR
Steelers loss + Colts loss or tie
NFC
Clinched:
Packers – NFC North division
Saints – NFC South division
Vikings — playoff berth
49ers — playoff berth
Seahawks — playoff berth
Cowboys clinch NFC East division with:
Cowboys win + Eagles loss
Packers clinch a first-round bye with:
Packers win OR
Saints loss OR
Packers tie + San Francisco loss OR
Packers tie + Saints tie
Packers clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
Packers win + San Francisco loss or tie OR
Packers tie +San Francisco loss + Saints loss or tie
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (12-3) (at Carolina (5-10); 1:00 PM ET, FOX)
Saints clinch a first-round bye with:
Saints win + Packers loss or tie OR
Saints win + 49ers loss or tie OR
Saints tie +Packers loss OR
Saints tie + 49ers loss OR
49ers loss +Packers win or tie
Saints clinch homefield advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
Saints win + Packers loss or tie + 49ers loss or tie OR
Saints tie + Packers loss + 49ers loss
Eagles clinch NFC East division with:
Eagles win or tie OR
Cowboys loss or tie
49ers clinch NFC West division title with:
49ers win or tie
49ers clinch a first-round bye with:
49ers win OR
49ers tie + Packers loss or tie OR
49ers tie + Saints loss or tie
49ers clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
49ers win OR
49ers tie + Packers loss or tie + Saints loss or tie
Seahawks clinch NFC West division with:
Seahawks win
Seahawks clinch a first-round bye with:
Seahawks win + Packers loss
Seahawks clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
Seahawks win + Packers loss + Saints loss
Texans Designate J.J. Watt For Return
The Texans will officially designate star defensive end J.J. Watt to return from the injured reserve list, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Watt has been sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle since Week 8, but this move will open the door for a playoff return.
Watt’s return to practice will open up a 21-day window for him to be added to the active roster. Considering he underwent pec surgery just eight weeks ago, it’s a remarkably fast turn around. Typically, pectoral surgery patients require three-to-four months of recovery time.
Watt’s no stranger to overcoming injuries – he’s return from two herniated disc surgeries and a tibial plateau operation. At the age of 30, this could be his toughest challenge yet.
If he’s able to retake the field, it’ll be a boon for the Texans’ chances in the playoffs. Watt was double teamed 30% of the time on his edge rusher snaps this year, more than any other qualifying player in the NFL.
The Texans have already locked down the AFC South in advance of their Week 17 matchup against the Titans. They’re currently slated to host the Bills on Wild Card weekend as the AFC’s No. 4 seed.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/23/19
Passing along some notable names from today’s workout circuit:
Detroit Lions
- CB Ken Crawley
Houston Texans
- RB Jeremy Cox, QB Nick Fitzgerald, TE Matt Flanagan, TE Cole Herdman, RB William Stanback
Jacksonville Jaguars
Seattle Seahawks
- DT Mike Hughes, DT Tomasi Laulile, DT Chris Nelson, DT Shakir Soto, DT Andrew Williams
Texans’ Will Fuller To Miss Time
Texans wide receiver Will Fuller will miss the team’s regular season finale against the Titans with a groin injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). On the plus side, he has an outside chance to play in their first playoff game and will likely be available if they win and advance to the next round. 
Fuller went down in Saturday’s game against the Bucs, though the Texans went on to win 23-20. Fuller has already missed time this year thanks to a hamstring injury and he’s no stranger to the injury bug as a pro. The speedster has yet to play a full season since entering the league in 2016.
Without Fuller, the Texans are expected to lean on DeAndre Hopkins as well as Kenny Stills and DeAndre Carter, who reeled in a clutch 39-yard catch following Fuller’s exit. Keke Coutee, who has been a healthy scratch in recent weeks, is expected to be active for the final game.
Fuller’s regular season will end with 49 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns through eleven games. He’ll now shift his focus to adding to his playoff totals. In his two playoff games in 2016, Fuller logged seven receptions for 53 yards.
The 25-year-old (26 in April) will return to the Texans next year on his $10.2MM fifth-year option.
J.J. Watt Expected To Return This Season
The rumblings about the Texans having their future Hall of Fame defensive end back this season have increased to the point that is now the expectation. It’s now in play J.J. Watt returns during the regular season.
If the Texans need to win in Week 17 to make the playoffs, Watt is expected to be back at practice in advance of the regular-season finale and to suit up in that game, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). Should Houston clinch a playoff spot in its game in Tampa Bay, the expectation is Watt will return to game action in the team’s playoff opener.
The Texans brought back tight end Ian Thomas from IR earlier this season but have saved their second return designation for Watt. The 30-year-old standout suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Week 8 and is eligible to return to practice at any point. He can return to game action beginning in Week 17.
Watt, who also missed most of the 2016 and ’17 seasons due to injury, is “determined” to make it back this season. Were Watt to aggravate the pec injury, the ensuing surgery would not sideline him for any portion of the 2020 campaign.
A first-team All-Pro in five of the six seasons he made it through, Watt was leading the NFL in pressures and quarterback hits when he went down early against the Raiders in October. The only player to twice register 20 sacks in a season, Watt has four this year to go along with 20 QB hits.
Houston can clinch the AFC South title with a win today and can also lock up a first-round home game with a Titans loss to the Saints on Sunday. This would point to Watt returning in the Texans’ January game. Either way, the return of one of the league’s best players will be a major factor in the Texans’ prospects to make a deep playoff run.
Texans’ J.J. Watt Could Return From IR
Good news for the Texans. Star defensive end J.J. Watt could return from injured reserve before the season is through, head coach Bill O’Brien said (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). 
“He’s certainly made progress based on his work ethic and who he’s working with in the training room. We will see,” said O’Brien on Monday morning.
Regardless of whether he makes it back for either of the team’s final two regular season tilts, Watt is “determined” to return to the field for the playoffs, as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle writes. Though defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel would surely love to have Watt in the fold, he did try to temper expectations a bit.
“We won’t know until that occurs and see where he is because every player who comes back from injury, you have to see where he is and what he can and cannot do,” Crennel said when asked about what it would mean to get Watt back on the field. “Then, I think that’ll make the difference in how much he can help or will help or if he helps.”
Watt suffered a torn pec during the Texans’ Week 8 win over the Raiders, and Watt himself acknowledged that he would miss the remainder of the year. But rehab has gone well for Watt, and he is pushing hard to return. The Texans have all but secured their place in the postseason, and a win over the Bucs on Sunday would seal up the AFC South title. Of course, if the Texans beat the Bucs, they could take the safe approach and keep Watt off of the field until the first round of the playoffs.
Getting Watt back in any capacity would obviously be a major boon for the Texans’ championship hopes. One of the game’s best defenders when healthy, the five-time First Team All-Pro posted 16 sacks in 2018 — the first time he had played a full season since 2015 — and had four sacks in 2019 before suffering the pec injury.
Janoris Jenkins Expected To Join Playoff Contender
The Giants waived veteran CB Janoris Jenkins on Friday, and sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that Jenkins is expected to land with a playoff contender shortly and could be playing as soon as next weekend.
The machinations of that remain a little unclear. If a team were to claim Jenkins off waivers, it would be responsible for the roughly $1.2MM that Jenkins is still owed for 2019, and it would technically be obligated to pay him $11.25MM in 2020, but that amount is completely non-guaranteed.
As such, a club that makes a claim on Jenkins is not putting itself at too much financial risk, though teams may prefer to wait until he clears waivers and sign him as a free agent. But as Schefter writes, if Jenkins clears waivers on Monday, he would revert to the Giants’ injured reserve list since he is nursing a minor ankle injury. That means that New York would have to waive him off of IR — which the team would be expected to do — but then Jenkins would be on waivers again until Tuesday.
Regardless, it sounds like the 31-year-old will generate plenty of interest, with the Texans and Chiefs named as potential landing spots. Jenkins logged 84 tackles and matched a career-high of four interceptions through 13 games this year, and across four years with the G-Men, Jackrabbit came away with 12 INTs and one Pro Bowl nod (2016).