Texans adjusting again to injury to receiver Fuller.
TITANS AT TEXANS 3:25 p.m. Sunday, CBS
HOUSTON — Because of the latest injury suffered by Will Fuller, the Texans will be forced to adapt again to his absence.
Fuller is out for at least the regular-season finale against the Tennessee Titans because of a groin injury suffered Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly. An MRI confirmed the extent of the groin injury, which normally takes two to three weeks to recover from and return to normal activities.
The Texans haven’t ruled out the possibility, though, that Fuller, the fastest player on the roster, could return in time for the playoffs.
The team has grown accustomed to not having Fuller in the lineup. Previously, it was a hamstring strain suffered Oct. 20 against the Indianapolis Colts that sidelined him. He has missed a total of five games.
“It’s definitely an adjustment,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said Monday. “Fuller, when he went out, it just it is what it is. Everybody deals with these types of adjustments. I think for us, we know what we need to do. We need to execute a lot more consistently on offense and we need to make sure that everybody is ready to play on gameday.”
Fuller has caught 49 passes for 670 yards and three touchdowns. When he’s on the field, the Texans’ offense has a different, more dynamic approach.
Fuller was replaced in the lineup against the Buccaneers by return specialist DeAndre Carter, who delivered a clutch 39-yard reception that led to the game-winning field goal.
“DeAndre did step up, he did,” O’Brien said. “He made a big play in the game. Very decisive player, DeAndre Carter is a great teammate.”
The Texans will lean heavily on DeAndre Hopkins, who caught his 100th pass of the season against the Buccaneers, along with Kenny Stills and Carter. Keke Coutee, a healthy scratch the past two weeks, is expected to be active Sunday.
It’s the ability of players like Carter, who receives very little practice reps behind the starters, to be ready that makes a big difference when a player of Fuller’s stature is hurt.
“You always have to prepare,” Carter said. “Being able to hop in and fill in at all the receiver spots, I take a lot of pride in that role. I stay ready for it. You only get so many reps in the week in practice and the starters going to get most of those reps. A lot of times I don’t get to run the plays. It’s more mental than physical. “It’s going to take a group effort, not just the receivers, but the backs and tight ends. Everybody has to pick up that slack. We’ve got a next-man-up mentality. Hopefully, Will gets back soon, so we can get him for that playoff push.”
Fuller acknowledged his frustration after the game Saturday and said he didn’t know when he would be able to return. At this point, his status is unresolved and it’s unclear how the Texans will handle him going forward due to his frequency of injuries.
“I think he’s making progress and I would say right now that’s just a dayto-day,” O’Brien said. “I wouldn’t be able to answer what’s going to happen on Sunday, but I think he’s definitely making progress.”