Texans Daily

Texans Coach Reveals LB Illness After Bills Game

The Houston Texans didn't know if they would have Azeez Al-Shaair for the Buffalo Bills matchup.

Jeremy Brener

Sep 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Sep 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The Houston Texans were thankful to have linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair on the field in the team's 23-20 win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 5 at NRG Stadium.

Coach DeMeco Ryans shared that he wasn't sure Al-Shaair would even play as the linebacker picked up an illness late Saturday night.

“Azeez [Al-Shaair] meant everything to what we did today," Ryans said. "People don't know he was sick last night. Didn't know if he was even going to play. For him, to be as tired as he was, for him to gut it out and play every snap, it was an outstanding performance by him. I know what he was battling. I know how hard it was for him to push through and play through that game. I've got so much respect for Azeez and what he accomplished today.”

READ MORE: Texans Star WR Suffers Injury During Game vs. Bills

Al-Shaair was the heartbeat of the defense, which limited Josh Allen to just nine completions on 30 pass attempts in the win. In the box score, Al-Shaair led the way with eight tackles, which helped Houston pick up the win.

In games like this, experiences are built that can be drawn back towards later in the year and in the playoffs when the stakes are raised. The team can look at Al-Shaair's effort and be inspired by their progress towards helping the team reach new heights later in the year.

Al-Shaair now gets a little time to rest up before the Texans visit the New England Patriots in Week 6 at Gillette Stadium.

READ MORE: Texans' C.J. Stroud Still Has More to Show

Stick with TexansGameday for more coverage of the Houston Texans throughout the season. 

Read More Houston Texans News

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• Texans Win on Last-Second FG vs. Bills

• C.J. Stroud Throws 67-Yard Touchdown Bomb to Nico Collins vs. Bills

• Texans LB Impressing in Second Season

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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