On one Sunday drive, the Houston Texans lost two of their top three pass rushers.
After losing J.J. Watt for the year with a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg, the Texans learned late Sunday night that linebacker Whitney Mercilus will also miss the remainder of the 2017 season with a torn pectoral, NFL Network's James Palmer reported, per a source informed of the situation.
Mercilus exited the game on the seventh play of the game and was quickly ruled out with a chest injury; Watt followed seven plays later.
Over the first five seasons of his career, Mercilus tallied 37.5 sacks, leading the team in sacks last year with 7.5.
As if it couldn't get worse for the Texans, who will now be without their most senior studs on defense for the rest of what looked to be a promising campaign. Without Watt, Mercilus, A.J. Bouye (in Jacksonville), Vince Wilfork (retired/eating barbeque) and Brian Cushing (suspended for 10 games), Houston's league-leading defense from last year has effectively been shredded, leaving only Jadeveon Clowney, Johnathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson and Benardrick McKinney as their legitimate playmakers for the foreseeable future.