Andre Johnson Injury: 3 Texans That Must Step Up with WR Down

As of now, Andre Johnson's hamstring injury is being classified as a strain, which is pretty much the best-case scenario for the Houston Texans. If the team's star receiver misses a significant chunk of time, there are three players who need to step up immediately.

Arian Foster has just recovered from his own hamstring injury, and has come back with a purpose in Week 4 against the Steelers. Midway through the fourth quarter of today's game, Foster has carried the ball 25 times for 142 yards and a touchdown. He scored on a 42-yard run with 12:12 left in the game to give the Texans a 17-10 lead.

On Sunday in his first full game back from injury, Foster has looked like the guy who led the NFL with 1,616 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns last season. If he keeps running like he has today, the Texans may be able to weather the storm of Johnson being out.

Another player who needs to step up his game immediately is wide receiver Jacoby Jones. The fifth-year veteran has not made a catch yet today against the Steelers, but he will have an opportunity to step up with Johnson out. He has just seven catches for 91 yards this season, but he has the ability to stretch the field and keep defenses honest.

If the Texans hope to remain dangerous offensively, Jones needs to show he can be a viable threat in the passing game. He had 51 catches last season for 562 yards. That level of production would help Houston tremendously in Johnson's absence.

Quarterback Matt Schaub has fallen into a pattern of relying on Johnson far too much. If his top target is out for a while, he needs to focus on spreading the ball around. While he doesn't have the most attractive options at receiver without Johnson, Kevin Walter and Jones should both be able to catch the ball when targeted.

In addition to Walter and Jones, Schaub has two very capable tight ends in Owen Daniels and James Casey. Both guys could be serious weapons if Schaub targets them. Entering Sunday's game, Schaub had targeted Johnson 32 times, while Casey and Daniels had been targeted a combined 26 times, and all of the team's other receivers had only been aimed for a combined 15 times.

For the Texans to be successful in Johnson's absence, Schaub needs to spread things around and get more people involved in the passing game. That, in turn, will make it easier for Foster to run the football.

If Foster, Schaub and Jones all step up while Johnson recovers, the Texans should be able to stay competitive for the next few weeks.