Texans place Terrence Brooks on injured reserve

The Texans placed veteran safety Terrence Brooks on injured reserve Thursday, a predictable outcome based on a lung contusion that caused him to be hospitalized in Indianapolis as he remained there overnight under observation after getting hurt Sunday.

Brooks played in six games this season with one start, recording six tackles.

Brooks has 108 career tackles and four career interceptions since being drafted in the third round by the Baltimore Ravens out of Florida State. He has also played for the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles.

One game after being benched for a road loss agains the Colts, Lonnie Johnson Jr. is expected to regain his starting job Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

Brooks got hurt in the end zone at Lucas Oil Stadium during a 31-3 defeat while defending Colts wide receiver Parris Campbell on a 51-yard touchdown catch.

That means that Johnson, a physically imposing former second-round draft pick from Kentucky, will be back in the lineup. Texans coach David Culley affirmed that Johnson will return to his former role and Eric Murray, a former starter who only played on special teams against the Colts, will also be called upon against Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and former Texans All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

"Obviously, Terrence isn't going to be able to play this week," Culley said. "I'm not sure how long it will be. Lonnie went in and played and will basically start this game this coming week, obviously with those guys at safety with Eric being back there also. We basically have been playing those guys (in combination), the defensive line, too, and we'll do the same thing going forward."

Johnson was chasing wide receiver T.Y. Hilton on a 51-yard reception in the first half after replacing Brooks.

In the third quarter, after rookie quarterback Davis Mills was intercepted by linebacker Darius Leonard, tight end Mo Alie-Cox got behind cornerback Desmond King and in front of Johnson as the 6-foot-2, 213-pound defensive back retreated deep into the end zone and couldn't react in time to stop him from scoring a touchdown.

"Going back to the inconsistency, because we've got a guy out of position as far as reading his keys," Culley said without specifically referencing any culpable player. "And if he was back where he should have been in that particular situation, that touchdown doesn't happen. To change things you have to change. Just reading our keys, we've been inconsistent at doing that."

Culley underscored that, if the results don't change soon, the personnel on the field will undoubtedly be different. 

Culley said he has explained many times that the Texans' margin for error is extremely thin. They don't have to necessarily execute perfectly, but they have to cut down on their mistakes to have a chance to be competitive.

"Not to this point, we haven't understood that," Culley said. "Again, that's my job to make that point to them to get them to change the results and what's happening in these ball games. That has to happen.

"We're going to emphasize it in our meetings. That's the only way we get it done and get a change. Obviously, if it's not getting done and the same guys are doing it again and again, we'll put somebody else in there."

Aaron Wilson has covered the NFL for 20 seasons, including the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. He has previously written for The Houston Chronicle and The Baltimore Sun. He’s on Twitter: @AaronWilson_NFL and Instagram: @aaronwilson7128

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Houston Texans

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