Although Andre Johnson finished Houston’s 30-24 escape of the Titans on Sunday with a team-high eight catches for 76 yards, he wasn’t on the field late in the game when quarterback Matt Schaub found DeAndre Hopkins for the game-winning touchdown in overtime.
That’s because Johnson had suffered a concussion after taking a shot from Tennessee safety Bernard Pollard late in the fourth quarter and was out for the game.
At this point, it’s unclear whether Johnson will be ready to play this Sunday’s contest vs. the Ravens, Texans coach Gary Kubiak said Monday.
"He's doing great,” Kubiak told reporters. “It'll be an end of the week decision because of the [concussion] protocol."
As for the hit, Pollard wasn’t penalized, probably because he led with his shoulder and not his helmet (though, as we know, if the league disagrees with the officials’ stance after the matter, it won’t have any problem fining Pollard for the infraction. It’s something Pollard fully acknowledged after the game).
But in the postgame locker room, some of Johnson’s teammates were upset.
“I’ve never seen a more blatant blow to the head,” tight end Owen Daniels said, via the Houston Chronicle. “A big miss by the officials, especially for a guy like Andre. I know you have to protect every player, especially someone like him.”
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