Mario Williams Injury: Star OLB Missing Season Will Hurt Texans' Playoff Hopes

Update: Monday Oct. 10 at 11:12 a.m. EDT

John McClain, Houston Texans' beat writer, has confirmed Williams will miss the season.

Adam Schefter is reporting via Twitter that “Texans LB Mario Williams has a torn pectoral muscle that will sideline him indefinitely if not for the remainder of the season.”

This is a huge blow to the Houston Texans’ playoff chances. The team has had an incredible turnaround from last season on the defensive end, especially against the pass.

They are only giving up the sixth amount of yards to opposing QBs through the air, and they are currently 12th against the run as well.

Mario Williams' move to OLB from DE in Wade Phillips’ 3-4 system was a huge part of the success the team found this season on the defensive end. Through just five games, he had 11 tackles and five sacks with a forced fumble.

He was getting free off the edge more than ever, with Antonio Smith and J.J. Watt on the ends and Shaun Cody clogging the middle.

Williams and the rest of the frontlines’ pressure were allowing their overhauled secondary to get interceptions and cover receivers deep. Their main problem last year was giving up the big play, but they seemed to have figured it out this season.

The Texans still have a good chance of making the playoffs, but it won’t be easy. They lucked out with Peyton Manning most likely missing the season for the Colts, but the Tennessee Titans are breathing down their necks in the AFC South.

Both teams are 3-2 on the year so far, and I doubt more than one team from this division makes the playoffs. This puts a ton of pressure on the Texans to continue to win and get ahead of the team from the Music City. They meet the first time in Week 7 and again on Week 17 in a game that could decide who goes to the postseason.

Hopefully for Houston, Mario Williams is back in time for that game, but it seems likely he won’t be suiting up the rest of the season.