The Houston Texans suffered another blow to their already depleted secondary when safety Eric Murray exited the game in the first quarter with a concussion. He did not return to the field and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Murray, who signed a two-year contract extension with the Texans in March, was expected to start alongside second-year safety Jalen Pitre. However, Pitre was also sidelined with a chest injury he sustained in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans were also without veteran safety Jimmie Ward, who missed his second consecutive game with a hip injury.
The Texans had to rely on backups DeAndre Houston-Carson, Grayland Arnold and Lonnie Johnson to fill in for the injured safeties. They struggled to contain the Colts’ passing attack, which racked up 281 yards and two touchdowns. The Texans lost 27-17 and fell to 1-1 on the season.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said he was proud of how the young players stepped up in a tough situation, but admitted that losing Murray was a big loss for the defense.
“Eric is a leader on our defense. He’s a smart player, he’s a physical player, he’s a playmaker,” Ryans said. “We definitely missed him out there today. Hopefully he can recover quickly and get back on the field soon.”
Ryans said he did not have an update on Murray’s status for next week’s game against the Carolina Panthers. He said he would wait for the medical staff to evaluate him and follow the concussion protocol.
The Texans will hope to have some of their injured players back for their next game, as they face a tough challenge against the Panthers, who are 2-0 and have scored 59 points in their first two games. The Texans will need all the help they can get to stop their potent offense and get back on track.
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