John McClain, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, is in his 48th year of covering the NFL in Houston, including 45 seasons at the Houston Chronicle.

Now that the Texans know they'll have to play three games without suspended linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, they'll have a solid plan to replace him.

On Wednesday, Al-Shaair lost his appeal to get the suspension reduced. He'll miss three games – the same number he missed earlier this season when an injury kept him on the sideline for a victory over the Colts and losses to the Packers and Jets.

After winning 23-20 at Jacksonville, where Al-Shaair's late hit on quarterback Trevor Lawrence caused his ejection and suspension, the Texans went into their bye week fourth in defense (308.5-yard average), including 10^th against the run (109.7) and seventh against the pass (198.8).

When the Texans return from the bye week, Al-Shaair won't be available for games against the Dolphins, Chiefs and Ravens during a 10-day stretch. He'll be able to return for the last game of regular season against the Titans.

Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke are fortunate to have talent and depth at linebacker to survive without Al-Shaair, a six-year veteran in his first season with the Texans.

Neville Hewitt did a terrific job replacing the injured Al-Shaair during the three-game stretch at midseason. Hewitt, a 10-year veteran in his third season with the Texans, had nine tackles, an interception and two pass deflections in the 24-22 loss at Green Bay.

In the 23-20 victory over Indianapolis, Hewitt contributed eight tackles and a forced fumble. He added six tackles and a forced fumble in the 21-13 loss at New York.

Hewitt is expected to start next to Henry To'oto'o, but that could change at some point because of the possible return of Christian Harris, who hasn't played since last season because of a calf injury.

Executive Vice President/General Manager Nick Caserio offered some insight into Harris' status this week when he met with the media.

"Relative to Christian, (he's) definitely making some progress," Caserio said. "I think he's getting closer. There's certainly a shot we're going to see him sooner rather than later."

Perhaps that "sooner" could be against the Dolphins or possibly the Chiefs. Harris will have to practice a week or two before he plays. He also might come off the bench at first so he can work his way into the kind of tip-top game shape he was in last season when he missed only one game and played exceptionally well.

Make no mistake, the defense will miss Al-Shaair.

"We felt his presence not being there," Ryans said after the victory over the Jaguars. "His loss really affected us on the defensive side."

The Texans allowed two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter before escaping with the victory that elevated their record to 8-5 and kept them comfortably ahead of second-place Indianapolis (6-7) in the AFC South.

Nobody will feel the loss of Al-Shaair more than Ryans, who knows the linebacker better than anyone in the organization. He coached Al-Shaair for four years with the 49ers and played a vital role in convincing him to sign with the Texans after one season with the Titans.

"Azeez is a great person, (an) exceptional leader (and) a really good player," Ryans said this week. "And he plays the game the right way. His intent is never to hurt anyone.

"Nobody has a bigger heart than Azeez, a special young man. (I) love working with him, and for any picture that's painted that Azeez is a dirty player or doing something intentional, that's the exact opposite of what Azeez is. He plays it fast (and) physical, but sometimes that physical nature gets misunderstood in today's game."

Ryans and Caserio made it clear this week they have Al-Shaair's back and will continue to support him. That's an important message for Al-Shaair – as well as his teammates – to understand as the Texans are preparing for the stretch drive that separates contenders from pretenders.

In a session with the media on Tuesday, Caserio blasted the NFL for what he called the "inconsistency" of its decisions after learning Al-Shaair had been suspended for three games. It's the first time since 2019 a player has been suspended for multiple games for conduct on the field.

"I probably speak for a lot of teams, but I think all teams ask for is consistency from the league," Caserio said. "Everyone wants some level of consistency, (a) level playing field, just so we have an understanding (and) we can apply the rules in the right way.

"In this situation, there's no consistency at all relative to the level of discipline that's been handed down."

Caserio was especially livid at the wording the league used when it announced Al-Shaair's suspension.

Caserio said, "Not having talked to a player, not knowing the player, and then to basically paint a picture – 'Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL.' That essentially implies that Azeez doesn't give a crap about the fans, doesn't give a crap about playing football the right way, is not coachable. (That) couldn't be further from the truth.

"For the league to make some of the commentary about lack of sportsmanship, lack of coachability, lack of paying attention to the rules – it's embarrassing. Talk about a player who's never been suspended, never been ejected."

Caserio, Ryans and the Texans' organization don't like the way Al-Shaair is being portrayed around the country.

"I think one of the biggest issues (we) take umbrage with is the picture that's been painted of Azeez," Caserio said. "It's unfair to the individual (and) unfair to the organization.

"We're going to support Azeez. We love everything about him (and) what he means to the team. We're glad he's a part of this team. Nobody embodies our program more than Azeez. There's not a more selfless individual, more about the team, who's earned the respect (and who) represents everything we want this program to be about."

When the players return to work next week, they'll get ready for the toughest part of the schedule – hosting Miami, visiting Kansas City and hosting Baltimore on Christmas Day before finishing regular season at Tennessee.

"We've been going at it for a long time," Ryans said. "We were one of the first teams to start training camp with the Hall of Fame game, and I feel like our guys have handled it really well – no excuses, no complaining about our schedule and where our bye week falls.

"(When) we come back, our focus will be on Miami, and when we hit reset, we'll be ready to get back to it."