The Houston Texans lost a significant part of their offense on Sunday when wide receiver Andre Johnson went down with a concussion in a game against the Tennessee Titans. The injury came after he took a hit from the Titans’ Bernard Pollard.
With Johnson on the bench, rookie DeAndre Hopkins had a monster game including the winning touchdown reception. He finished with seven catches and 117 yards and was the preferred target of quarterback Matt Schaub with Johnson out. There’s no doubt, though, that Houston would like to get their star back on the field as soon as possible. That won’t come at the expense of the player per the NFL’s concussion rules. Because of that, head coach Gary Kubiak says Johnson’s status is unknown and won’t be decided upon until the end of the week.
With eight catches for 76 yards, Johnson was having a good game up until the injury. While Hopkins stepping up was big for Houston, the team’s passing attack is much more potent with Johnson on the field.
The other side of the story is that while Pollard wasn’t even flagged on the field for a penalty, there’s talk that his hit may draw a fine. Texans players, including Owen Daniels, were none too pleased.
Stay tuned.
