There's hope in Houston that Jadeveon Clowney will finally return to the field on Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Texans outside linebacker practiced Friday for the first time in six weeks on the heels of September knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus, per ESPN.com's Tania Ganguli. He was officially listed as questionable on Saturday.
Coach Bill O'Brien later called the No. 1 overall pick a game-time decision with a 50/50 shot to suit up. Clowney, though, acknowledged that he wouldn't be shocked to miss his sixth straight game.
"It's like I said, I'm taking it one day at time right now," the pass rusher told reporters. "I've been rehabbing, just trying to get back."
O'Brien said Clowney "didn't take a ton of reps" in Friday's session but "seemed to be moving around well."
Even a small dose of the promising rookie could mean trouble for a Steelers offensive line also tasked with slowing downJ.J. Watt. The veteran end has been the league's most dominant defender this season by a wide margin, racking up four sacks, 20 quarterback hits, 17 hurries and six batted passes while scoring three touchdowns -- two more than Pro BowlTexans wideout Andre Johnson.
Watt's handiwork has helped spark a defense that leads the NFL in takeaways (14) after finishing last in that category one year ago. So much of Watt's value, though, goes beyond the numbers. The behemoth can't be slowed without multiple blockers attached to him, which frees up teammates to wreak havoc.
All in all, an outstanding situation for Clowney to waltz into, as soon as his knee is ready to dance.
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