Sep 15, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson (80) lies on the ground injured against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Reliant Stadium. The Texans won 30-24. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports
This week, the Texans will travel to Baltimore for a match up against the Ravens. The Texans are entering the game coming off of two straight come-from-behind wins, while Baltimore is coming off of one of the ugliest wins they’ve had in a long time. The Ravens should have manhandled the Cleveland Browns in week two, but only managed to squeak out a 14-6 victory. Both teams are going to be looking for a good start to this game, but they might have to do so without some of their stars.
Last week, the Texans’ star receiver, Andre Johnson left the game late in the game with an apparent concussion. After further evaluation, it was confirmed that Johnson did, indeed, have a concussion and is likely going to be a game time decision for the game against Baltimore. The Texans’ staff says that Johnson is close to returning but if he is forced to miss this week’s game, the younger receivers are going to have to step up and contribute to this offense.
Left tackle Duane Brown also suffered an injury in last week’s game against Tennessee. Brown apparently has a toe injury that forced him to miss some time during last week’s game, however he did manage to go back in and play through it. According to Drew Dougherty of houstontexans.com, Texans’ head coach Gary Kubiak said of Brown’s availability,
"“It’s going to probably be an end of the week decision,” Kubiak said. “But you’ve got a player who can play without practicing. He’s got plenty of football under his belt. He knows what we’re doing.”"
Let’s hope that both of these guys can play this week because both of them are huge contributors to this offense.
Baltimore will also be entering the game with a few of their stars banged up. Running back Ray Rice suffered a hip injury last week against Cleveland, and he might be forced to sit out for this week’s game. If Rice cannot play this week, it will be a major setback for the Ravens’ offense. Rice has been a consistent contributor to Baltimore’s offense since he’s entered the league, without him in the backfield the Ravens’ offense is going to struggle.
Be sure to check back for more information about Houston’s match up against Baltimore.