One week after All-Pro receiver Andre Johnson went down with a hamstring injury, the Texans lost linebacker Mario Williams and fullback James Casey to pectoral injuries against the Oakland Raiders.
Williams, who leads the team with 5.0 sacks, left the game in the first quarter. Casey was sidelined in the third quarter.
"(Williams) and Casey both have a pec problem," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said after the game. "We'll evaluate it here this evening and find out (the severity)."
Kubiak was asked if Williams will require surgery if his pectoral muscle is torn.
"I'm not a doctor," he said. "I don't know. I hate to answer that right now… Let's see what happens."
Williams sacked Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell on Oakland's third drive of the game. He appeared to get injured on the play, then left the field and walked to the locker room with team trainers.
Rookie linebacker Brooks Reed, a second-round pick from Arizona, replaced Williams. He finished the game with four tackles and two quarterback hits.
"Initially, I've got to say that he looked pretty impressive," Kubiak said of Reed. "Looked like he had some good rushes off the edge. He went from playing 10-12 plays to all of a sudden he probably played 50 in the game. It's gonna be time for him to step up now, but that's what he's here for. He's been doing some good stuff."
Cornerback Brice McCain, right guard Mike Brisiel and quarterback Matt Schaub also were injured during the game. Schaub was hit low by defensive end Richard Seymour late in the fourth quarter, which drew a 15-yard penalty, but said he was fine after the game.
"McCain got digned a little bit," Kubiak said. "Brisiel got an ankle, and our quarterback got his knee banged, so we'll have to evaluate those guys."
