Andre Johnson injury will change Houston’s game plan

The Houston Texans will be without wide receiver Andre Johnson(notes) when they host the Oakland Raiders on October 9. That is a huge loss for the Texans as they continue their drive toward a division title and the first playoff berth in franchise history. Houston still has a lot of talent on offense. However, it won't be easy to play without one of the three best wide receivers in the league.

Johnson was knocked out of the October 2 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a hamstring injury. The team confirmed that he had a minor procedure on his right hamstring. The team said that Johnson will miss the Oakland game and could be out longer. They didn't offer a specific time frame for his return but based on the procedure the Texans could be facing the prospect of losing Johnson for several weeks. The team doesn't have a bye week until Week 11. That means that Johnson won't get a free week of rest. He won't be out that long but Houston will likely have to handle the situation carefully each week.

The good news is that Johnson didn't have major surgery. He might be out a few games but he doesn't have to worry about long term recovery. That is good for both him and the team. Johnson is the leading receiver on the team in terms of yards and catches. Only tight end Owen Daniels(notes) has caught more touchdown passes. Kevin Walter(notes) and Jacoby Jones(notes) are decent receivers but they don't scare defenses the same way that Johnson does. Houston also has a strong running game. However, there is a real possibility that the lack of Johnson could encourage defenses to focus more on that instead of the passing attack.

I don't expect Houston to fall apart without Johnson. However, I don't think they will be able to count on the passing attack being as strong. Houston is strong in other areas and should be able to weather the loss of Johnson. If this really is a playoff team they can afford a short term loss even if it is a player of that caliber. But Houston is going to need to game plan a little differently. They won't get Johnson's production from another receiver. That means they will have to be creative in terms of putting points on the board.


(sports.yahoo.com)