Fuller believed to have torn ACL
Texans starting wide receiver Will Fuller is believed to have torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Thursday night, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly.
A magnetic resonance imaging exam will be conducted Friday to confirm the initial diagnosis.
Although Fuller walked off the field without assistance, it was immediately feared to be serious when his knee buckled underneath him and he immediately grabbed his knee.
“We’ll have to wait and see,” Texans coach Bill
O’Brien said when asked about the severity of Fuller’s injury.
Fuller got hurt in the fourth quarter of a 42-23 rout of the Miami Dolphins. He was immediately ruled out of the game.
Fuller caught five passes for 124 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown.
Fuller has deal with hamstring injuries this season.
Without Fuller in the lineup, the Texans will have to rely even more heavily on All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and rookie Keke
Coutee when he’s back from a strained hamstring that kept him out against the Dolphins.
Hopkin steals show with catch
It was another epic, acrobatic catch by Texans All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Hopkins sprinted up the sideline and snatched a Deshaun Watson pass on a leaping one-handed, left-handed grab.
While falling to the ground, Hopkins had the body control and presence of mind to pull the football against his legs.
Hopkins looked like he was playing Twister on the football field.
However, the catch was nullified by offsetting penalties as Hopkins was flagged for offensive pass interference and Dolphins cornerback Bobby
McCain was flagged for illegal contact.
The catch joins the growing catalog of incredible catches by Hopkins.
Watt’s 8th sack ties NFL lead
Dipping his shoulder and jamming his right arm underneath Miami Dolphins offensive tackle
Ja’Wuan James’ armpit, Texans star defensive end
J.J. Watt took the overmatched blocker for a ride Thursday night.
Watt drove James backward into the Dolphins’ backfield as if he was wearing roller skates, not football cleats.
Watt dumped Dolphins quarterback Brock Osweiler for a sack to move into a tie for the NFL lead with Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron
Donald with eight sacks apiece.
Watt celebrated the sack by pretending to tip his hat to the crowd.
The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year is in the middle of an epic return from a gruesome broken leg suffered last year.
Rookie Reid makes impact
Texans rookie safety Justin Reid doesn’t look out of place when lining up with a veteran-laden defense.
The third-round draft pick from Stanford has played in every game, starting four.
Smart, big, fast and physical, Reid is fitting in quickly with an improving defense while lining up next to former Arizona Cardinals All-Pro safety
Tyrann Mathieu or cornerback/safety Kareem Jackson. Reid intercepted former Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler in the first half Thursday night, setting up a Deshaun Watson touchdown pass to rookie tight end Jordan Thomas. This marks the second interception of the season for Reid.
Reid had six tackles in the first half. He joins Los Angeles Chargers safety
Derwin James as the only rookies to record five total tackles and an interception in the first half of a game this year.
A former All-Pac 12 selection, Reid has a rich football pedigree. The Louisiana native is the younger brother of Panthers safety Eric Reid.
Joseph exits with injury
Texans veteran cornerback Johnathan Joseph injured his left ankle Thursday night against the Dolphins, leaving the secondary even more shorthanded.
Joseph got upended by teammate Jadeveon
Clowney when the Pro Bowl linebacker accidentally rolled into the defensive back’s ankle.
Joseph limped off the field and headed inside to the locker room for further evaluation after being examined in the sideline medical tent. He was later ruled out.
The Texans were already playing without cornerbacks Kevin Johnson (concussion, injured reserve), Aaron Colvin
(ankle) and Shareece
Wright (shoulder, groin). After Joseph got hurt, starting inside linebacker
Zach Cunningham headed inside to the locker room with a knee injury.
The Texans’ leading tackler was later ruled out.
Jackson hurt making tackle
When Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson delivered an aggressive tackle on Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki, the veteran defensive back landed roughly.
Jackson was visibly shaken up and was helped to the sideline by trainers.
Jackson got examined in the sideline medical tent, was cleared and went back in the game.
Hal paid in full despite absence
When safety Andre Hal was on the non-football illness list while dealing with lymphoma, he received his full salary.
NFL teams have the option to withhold pay or negotiated reduced rates of pay.
It’s not surprising that Hal received his full rate of a $3.25 million base salary under his three-year, $15 million contract. Hal is paid $191,176 per game check.
Hal has made an impressive comeback with his lymphoma in remission. He started the Texans’ win over Jacksonville, but was inactive Thursday against the Dolphins because of a shoulder injury.