Getty
The Houston Texans find themselves in an early hole against the Indianapolis Colts during the wild-card round of the 2019 NFL Playoffs. To make matters worse, there’s concern over a potential injury to the team’s star wide receiver in DeAndre Hopkins. After a failed fourth down late in the second quarter, Hopkins went almost directly back to the locker room.
As NFL Network’s James Palmer revealed, the team was checking his shoulder.
DeAndre Hopkins heading to the locker room. He was getting his right shoulder looked at by the trainers during a time out 2 plays ago.
The injury seems to have happened on a player where the Texans were trailing 21-0 and facing a 4th-and-1 inside the red zone with a chance to cut into the lead. Hopkins was targeted by quarterback Deshaun Watson in the end zone, but the show was off the mark and the receiver attempted to dive but seemed to land awkwardly.
Here’s a look at the scene as Hopkins left the field just minutes prior to halftime.
DeAndre Hopkins exits to the locker room early. #INDvsHOU
We’ll update the status of Hopkins’ shoulder injury as additional information is received. There’s a chance he may have been just heading back early to make sure things checked out, but there’s still an obvious level of concern at this point.
Update: According to the TV broadcast, Texans coach Bill O’Brien said Hopkins’ shoulder checked out fine and he is good to go for the second half.
Tough First Half for Texans vs. Colts
The Texans find themselves in a major hole against the AFC South rival Colts. They not only trail 21-0 but have struggled to get much going offensively and can’t seem to slow down Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis offense.
Watson has completed 11-of-18 passes for 90 yards but has posted a quarterback rating of just 50.7 through two quarters with one interception. Hopkins has been the team’s second-most productive wideout thus far, catching 3-of-5 targets for 26 yards. Currently, rookie Keke Coutee is leading the way with five catches for 49 yards.
Barring a drastic turnaround, the Texans may find themselves watching the Colts face the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round. There’s a whole half left to be played, but the first half wasn’t a good one for the home team.
READ NEXT: NFL Playoffs: Eagles vs. Bears Betting Line & Wild Card Pick