Giants Lose Holland and Johnson for Sunday's Game in Houston; Texans Down Two Safeties Too

The Houston Texans host the New York Giants on Sunday at noon CT, and both secondaries will be short-handed. The Giants announced Saturday that safety Jevon Holland and tight end Theo Johnson have been downgraded to out for the Week 7 game, Giants Wire reported.

Holland, who had been listed as questionable, entered the concussion protocol after last week's 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints and was limited in practice Thursday and Friday, but did not clear the steps needed to play, according to the New York Post and Giants Wire. It is the first game he has missed this season. Holland leads the Giants with three interceptions, with two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and 30 tackles, and he had played all 380 of the team's defensive snaps through the first six games, the Post reported. His absence is expected to mean a rotation of Jason Pinnock and Ar'Darius Washington, with Tyler Nubin still questionable with a neck injury.

Johnson, previously doubtful with a neck injury, did not travel with the team to Houston, and his absence thins the tight end group behind Isaiah Likely. The Giants will also be without linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and cornerback Greg Newsome, and the game will be quarterback J.J. McCarthy's starting debut with the Giants, the Post reported. New York enters at 3-2-1 and has its bye next week.

Houston's injury list is concentrated in the same part of the field. Safeties Reed Blankenship and Jalen Pitre, running back David Montgomery and tackle Blake Fisher are all listed as out on the Texans' final injury report, Athlon Sports reported, while linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and tackle Trent Brown both practiced fully on Friday. The Texans also activated receiver Tank Dell on Saturday — he is set to play Sunday for the first time in 22 months, as this station reported Saturday — giving C.J. Stroud another receiving option on the day.