Week 3 Injury Report: Houston Texans Vs. New York Giants

The Houston Texans ended Week 2 with an exclamation point that was one for the ages!

So here we are…

It’s now two weeks into the season and the team is 2-0 once again.

The New York Giants will be their opponent this week…

Where the team ends up from here remains to be seen but it will interesting to see this Sunday if the team can go 3-0.

If they can successfully do that, then we all know that this season is going in a different direction.

And hopefully for the better!

For the Houston Texans, here are the players that are listed on the injury report:

LB Jadeveon Clowney, Knee

LB Akeem Dent, Hamstring

TE C.J. Fiedorowicz, Foot

RB Arian Foster, Hamstring

TE Garrett Graham, Ankle

WR DeAndre Hopkins, Illness

DE Tim Jamison, Groin

WR Andre Johnson, Ankle

G Ben Jones, Ankle

CB Johnathan Joseph, Foot

S Shiloh Keo, Calf

DT Louis Nix, Wrist

RB Jay Prosch, Hand

S D.J. Swearinger, Elbow

Both Clowney and Keo are the only players that have been ruled out for Sunday — Clowney is still recovering from knee surgery and Keo has been on the injured list since the start of the season. Jones, Swearinger and Foster are listed as questionable. Everyone else is probable.

I honestly think that because they are already loaded with talent at the position where Keo plays, Bill O’Brien is taking his time bringing him along by stashing him on the injured list and will activate him on an as-needed basis.

Jones suffered ankle injury late in the first quarter while blocking for Foster in his eventual lone, five-yard touchdown. He limped off the field but was able to return to the game and make another amazing block for Johnson in the third quarter for a 20-yard catch, his largest of the game. He has been quite impressive on the offensive line as of late and has been a key to the Texans’ success.

Jones, although listed as questionable, is expected to be available.

According to ESPN’s Tania Ganguli, Jones did not practice yesterday but was present for the team walk-through:

Don’t worry Texans’ fans, Swearinger, one of our most important men in the backfield, will be okay. He suffered a hyper-extended elbow during last week’s contest but it’s not something that will keep him out this Sunday.

According to 610 SportsRadio’s Will Grubb, he practiced albeit limited participation and said he’s ready to play:

And last but not least, Foster has been nursing his hamstring for a bit and that’s because of the large amount of work he has been doing for the team. Through the past two games, he has 55 carries for 241 yards. It has been eight years since the last person came even close to those numbers this early in the season. Chester Taylor completed that feat in 2006.

O’Brien said Monday that he is aware of the extra workload Foster has been taking on and has a plan to mitigate that:

"“Certainly when you look at one player getting a ton of carries, that’s something that you have to pay attention to as a staff,” O’Brien said. “We do that, but we also do what’s necessary to win the game on both sides of the ball and on special teams. At the end of the day though, we will probably as we move forward spread the carries around a little bit more than we have. But right now, we’re doing what we think is necessary to win the football game.”"

He has been limited in practice all week but is likely expected to be available Sunday. If he isn’t, Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes and Ronnie Brown will all be available to pitch in. I’d suspect Blue would get the bulk of the carries if Foster can’t go.

And here’s the injury report for the New York Giants:

LB Jon Beason, Foot

WR Odell Beckham, Hamstring

T James Brewer, Back

T Charles Brown, Shoulder

LB Devon Kennard, Hamstring

DT Markus Kuhn, Ankle

P Steve Weatherford, Left Ankle

Beason, Beckham and Kennard have been ruled out for Sunday’s contest. Brewer, Brown and Weatherford have been listed as questionable. Kuhn is probable.

Beason, the seven-year vet that was a component of the team’s improvement on defense last season, has been battling recovery of a fracture of his right foot since June and the recovery has been extended because he decided to not have surgery. He aggravated it once again this past Sunday and had to exit the game in the third quarter.

There’s no timetable for his return and head coach Tom Coughlin so much as said so:

"“He’ll probably have to fight through something like this for the duration, let’s put it that way,” Coughlin said. “Here’s a guy that’s tough and gritty, and he’ll go out there as soon as he can.”"

Jameel McClain is the primary backup at middle linebacker, Beason’s position. He is also a seven-year veteran and is in his first year with the Giants.

He took a good chunk of reps at the position during training camp and said it won’t be too much different from what he normally does:

"“Once again, like I say every week, I expect to play linebacker, wherever they tell me to play that week is what I do,” McClain said. “Nothing is a big transition in this game, especially the way that I played it. You prepare the same way that you prepare every week the same way that I’ve always prepared. I always study all the positions. It’s not really a big shift for me.”"

Beckham and Kennard are both rookies and it seems the Giants are taking their time in bringing them along.

Brewer and Brown are the primary backups at tackle on the Giants’ offensive line. Because that’s a position where there’s always a need, I’d expect to see both of them at least give it a go but they may not be at 100 percent.

Weatherford did not practice Friday but it would surprise me if one of the NFL’s best, toughest punters is not out on the field this Sunday.