HOUSTON -- Texans quarterback Matt Schaub's bruised chest won't keep him out this week, but it's likely that Andre Johnson will miss his third consecutive game since he had minor surgery on his right hamstring.
The Texans, who already have lost linebacker Mario Williams for the season, also could be without fullback James Casey for the second game in a row because of a pectoral injury.
That's bad news for a team that has lost two in a row heading into Sunday's AFC South showdown with the division-leading Tennessee Titans.
Schaub said being banged up is just part of life in the NFL and that the Texans will have to work through their problems to prepare for the Titans. Schaub was limited in practice Wednesday, with backup Matt Leinart taking some of the repetitions. The Texans plan to use Leinart a lot in practice as the season goes on to give Schaub some rest.
"He's just sore," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said of Schaub. "He's beat up, but he did practice ... Matt is pushing through, and we just need to get him through a week where he's not getting beat up very much."
Kubiak said Johnson has been making progress and hasn't had any setbacks. He has been running and catching passes but has yet to practice with the team. Kubiak said Johnson could return to practice before the end of the week, and the coach wouldn't rule out the receiver for Sunday yet.
"Well, first off, I'm not going to say no. I'm not going to say it," Kubiak said when asked if there was a chance Johnson would play. "He's got to reach the practice field before he plays in a game, and he's not done that yet. Everything is going exactly the way we thought it would go."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
