Andre Johnson Injury: Will Houston Texans Be Able To Cope Without Star Receiver?

After star receiver Andre Johnson went down with a hamstring injury on Sunday, the Houston Texans are faced with the possibility of being without one of their biggest weapons.

Johnson, who went down untouched in the second quarter after a short reception up the middle, was seen clutching the back of his right knee. He did not return to the game.

Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said Johnson would undergo an MRI on Sunday night to determine the severity of the injury, but he briefly touched on what it would mean if Johnson was forced out of next week.

Said Kubiak, via NFL.com:

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"It was very difficult. He's the leader of this team, the leader of this franchise. If we have to go without him for a period of time, we'll have to have some guys step to the plate."

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Fortunately for the Texans, star running back Arian Foster appears back to normal after his hamstring injury, rushing 30 times for 155 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 17-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In case Johnson is forced to miss time, No. 2 receiver Jacoby Jones will have to be the team's primary receiver, while either Bryant Johnson or Kevin Walter will have to step into the No. 2 spot.

It's also likely that the Texans would use tight end Owen Daniels more, as well as backup tight end Joel Dressen. In the wake of Johnson's injury on Sunday, Daniels led the team with five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. Daniels caught just 38 balls for 471 yards and two scores last season, but that's because the Texans have always relied so heavily on Johnson given he's able to put up big numbers against even the premier cornerbacks in the league.

I'm guessing that if Johnson isn't 100 percent by next week, the Texans will hold him out against the Oakland Raiders. The Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars don't figure to challenge for the division this season, and it's hard to believe the Tennessee Titans will keep it up after a 3-1 start.

There's no use risking further injury to Johnson by throwing him in there for Week 5. Just look what happened to Foster in Week 2.