HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans were without three starters at practice for the second straight day.
Tight end Garrett Graham (ankle), receiver Andre Johnson (concussion), and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus (back) were among the players to miss practice two days in a row. Defensive end Tim Jamison (knee) and guard Xavier Su'a-Filo (back) also missed practice.
Graham suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of last week's game against the Jaguars. Johnson took a hard hit to his head last weekend that seemed to knock him unconscious for a few seconds and caused his concussion.
Mercilus was having issues with his back that limited his playing time against the Jaguars. On Thursday, O'Brien was unsure about Mercilus's status for Sunday's game.
Brian Cushing did not practice Wednesday, but returned to practice on a limited basis Thursday. Rather than the knee recovery that kept him on the injury report earlier in the season, Cushing is now on the report with an ankle/back designation. The seriousness is unclear, but it's good news that he returned to practice.
Running back Arian Foster (groin) and cornerback Johnathan Joseph (knee/achilles) both returned to practice after missing practice Wednesday.
