Washington surprisingly upgraded left tackle Trent Williams from out to questionable on Friday, but coach Jay Gruden said that the move had nothing to do with the challenge presented by the Houston defense.
“We’re not accelerating him because of those two guys,” Gruden said when asked about facing J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. “We’re just going to see if he can do it. It’s not like it’s a knee or anything. If he can function with that thing and have some kind of gripping ability, then he can play. That’s the big concern. He did have surgery not too long ago. This would be a quick recovery but Trent is a unique human. We trust the fact that if he can go, he’ll go, and if not, we’ll wait till the next week or the week after, but it’s all up to him and the doctor.”
Whatever the decision, Gruden said that he’s not thinking about the impact of having guys ready for the Thanksgiving game against Dallas.
“We’re trying to win this game and we’ll worry about Thursday on Thursday but this a big game for us on Sunday,” Gruden said.
Indeed it is. The Texans are 6-3, Washington is 6-3, and both teams need a win in order to cement their grip atop their respective divisions. Having Williams back would go a long way toward helping Washington move the ball, both on the ground and through the air.