Following up on the ongoing story. ... C.J. Stroud is out of concussion protocol ahead of Sunday's pivotal matchup against the Tennessee Titans

Stroud missed Houston's last two games due to a Week 14 concussion suffered in a loss to the New York Jets. The Texans went 1-1 with veteran Case Keenum as the starter, including a 19-16 Week 15 win over the Titans.

"Encouraging to have C.J. back out at practice today," head coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday. "It was encouraging to see him. I think it just lifts everybody's spirits to see him back doing well and still progressing in the right direction. So, happy about that."

Stroud returned to team meetings last Friday and attended practice. He was replaced by Case Keenum for the past two games, including a 19-16 overtime win over the Titans on the road and a 36-22 defeat to the Cleveland Browns where Keenum was benched late in the game and replaced by Davis Mills.

Having Stroud back provides a major boost to an 8-7 team that remains in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt.

Stroud has passed for 3,631 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

"It means a lot, it means a lot to this offense, to this team to have your boy back out there, to see him getting his groove back," wide receiver Nico Collins said. "We've got to pick up where we left off. He's looking good, didn't skip a beat. C.J.'s a baller, man.

"Taking his time with it, make sure he's good. We need him. We miss him. Nobody wants to miss playing time with your brothers, but he knows what's at stake right now. Health is everything. Whenever he's ready to come back, you know what's up. It doesn't take long to get his groove back."

"It was huge just to have No. 7's presence out there," rookie wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson said. "We missed him for two weeks. Just to see him back out there fully healthy, it was huge. Everyone's excited and I know he's excited. Can't wait to see what he does back this Sunday. It's a regular day, but you observe things and there's a sense of confidence."

One of the biggest priorities for the Texans in orchestrating Stroud's return is making sure he doesn't suffer another concussion.

That means protecting him as well as possible.

"You're just looking for efficiency, being able to command the huddle, being efficient with the plays we're asking him to run," Ryans said. "You're looking for him to be comfortable in the moment. The main thing is you want to keep the defenders off of him as much as possible so we don't have another hit or anything to make him go backwards. We have to make sure we're protecting him, make sure we're playing efficient and make sure we're pressing forward moving the football."

So what should we expect this week?

NFL Network's Michael F. Florio reminded his readers not to forget how reliable Stroud was before he was injured.

He showed a very high ceiling, actually scoring the most fantasy points of any QB in a game in 2023. Stroud could reach that ceiling against the Titans, who have allowed plenty of production through the air.

Remember: Case Keenum managed to throw for 229 yards and a touchdown against the Titans two weeks ago, resulting in a big week for Noah Brown as the top target.

Adding to the intrigue, the Titans are dealing with major injury issues in the secondary, highlighted by Kristian Fulton (currently on IR) and Sean Murphy-Bunting both missing Week 16. Tennessee has surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, including the second most to the perimeter and ninth fewest to the slot.

According to ESPN's Mike Clay, that split is good news for Collins (80 percent perimeter) and Brown (59 percent), who primarily work out wide.

Both can be upgraded, whereas the matchup for Robert Woods (56 percent slot) against Roger McCreary isn't as appealing. ...

One last note here. ... Over the past three weeks, Devin Singletary has seen 70 percent of the Texans' carries. Frustratingly, he was subbed off on passing downs for Dare Ogunbowale in Week 16. As NBC Sports' Kyle Dvorchak notes, with Stroud back, the Texans will be favorites at home versus the Titans.

That will be a great spot for Singletary to get home on the ground, but Stroud needs to be in the lineup.