It just doesn't make much sense not to give him a runout to try and boost whatever value is still there. Granted he wasn't included in the 18, but that would've been the perfect opportunity to send him in being down a man and the ref not calling Houston for hard tackles; would have been better to use him and not risk a sure starter.
By the way, could you please make this a daily serial? Like
Midas Mulligan said, we don't care any longer if it's fact or fiction, but tell us a story each day and we can wait to see if it comes true or we move on to the next day's story.