Andre Johnson Injury: Texans Will Miss Johnson's Presence vs. Raiders

While it seems safe to say that Arian Foster is still among the league's best running backs, no one player is more important to the Houston Texans' offense than wide receiver Andre Johnson.

If you are unfamiliar with Johnson and his work, all you really need to know is that he's big, he's fast and for the most part, he's dominant.

Right now, Johnson is also quite hurt. He hurt his hamstring on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the news regarding Johnson's status for this weekend's tilt with the Oakland Raiders is not good. Via Pro Football Talk's Evan Silva, ESPN's John Clayton reported today that Johnson is "definitely" going to be out of action in Week 5.

To boot, Johnson could very well be out for three more weeks. It sounds like his hamstring is pretty dinged up.

Concerning this weekend's game against the Raiders, Johnson's absence is a huge blow. If the Raiders have proven anything in their first four games, it's that they are largely helpless against the pass. This is largely thanks to a lackluster secondary, which would have been totally overmatched against a player like Johnson.

The good news for the Texans is that they have one of the strongest rushing attacks in the league, and the Raiders aren't particularly formidable against the run either. With Johnson out, Foster can expect to receive a workload similar to the one he received against the Steelers, against whom he ran the ball 30 times for 155 yards.

Because of this, the Texans are by no means doomed against the Raiders. If their improved defense continues to play well, the Texans should be able to come away with a victory.

The tricky part will be if and when the Texans need a clutch play in the passing game. Matt Schaub typically looks to Johnson in such situations, and he usually delivers. On Sunday, Schaub will have to find a new go-to guy, and both he and the Texans may not be so lucky.

In the end, that could very well be the difference between a win and a loss for the Texans. The Raiders have enough offense to compensate for their subpar defense, and the Texans are going to have their work cut out for them if the game turns into a shootout.

With Johnson, the Texans can win a shootout. Without him, their ability to do so is far from certain.