Drafted with the No. 1 overall selection in May’s 2014 Draft, Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was supposed to team with star end J.J. Watt to form the NFL’s most formidable pass rush duo.

However, Clowney went down with a torn meniscus in the team’s Week 1 win, requiring surgery and keeping him on the sidelines.

Luckily for the Texans, that absence could end as soon as this weekend, as Drew Dougherty of Texans TV reported that head coach Bill O’ Brien said that Clowney has done everything he needs to and has a “good shot” at playing on Sunday:

“He did what he had to do this week. I think he has a good shot to play on Sunday.”-O’Brien on Jadeveon Clowney.

— Drew Dougherty (@DoughertyDrew) October 24, 2014

If Clowney does indeed return in Week 8, he’ll have a favorable match-up in which to do so. The Texans will take on the reeling Tennessee Titans in Week 8, and they’ll be tasked with defending rookie quarterback Zack Mettenberger in his first-ever NFL start.

Yet the Texans defense has looked horrible in Clowney’s absence, with Watt’s frequent game-breaking plays their only saving grace whatsoever. Teams are racking up an insane amount of yards on them through the air, and having Clowney back to put extra pressure on opposing quarterbacks will be invaluable.

The Texans’ woes can’t all be blamed on the defense, as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick ahs made some mistakes that has put their defense in no-win situations.

Clowney tried to test his knee prior to Houston’s Week 7 loss to Pittsburgh, but his lateral agility wasn’t where it needed to be.

Given that it’s already Friday and all O’Brien can offer is positive speculation, it’s looking like his availability for Week 8 will come down to another game-time decision.

If he’s unable to play at full strength, the team may keep him out in order to avoid the risk of re-injury, but the sliding Texans need him back as soon as possible.

Will Houston rebounded with a tailor-made beating of a rookie quarterback this Sunday?