Houston, TX – Like a baseball manager protecting a young or ailing pitcher, Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak will be careful with his star wide receiver this weekend.
Kubiak will keep Andre Johnson on a play count during Sunday's season finale against Tennessee, provided he is cleared by the head trainer to play.
Johnson has missed nine games this season -- including the last three -- with hamstring injuries and Kubiak is hoping to get him a little work before the AFC South champions host their first-ever playoff game.
"Looks like he's ready to go," Kubiak said on Friday. "It looks as though he's ready to go to me, unless [head trainer Geoff Kaplan] or them come to me for some reason. Everything looks like it's fine."
Asked how many plays Johnson could expect, Kubiak said he didn't know.
"Put it this way," he said, "it won't be 30 or 40. Let's put it that way."
Johnson has 31 receptions for 471 yards and two touchdowns in six games this season.
"Everything's been going fine," he said Friday. "Everything's been pretty normal, so hopefully it will stay that way."
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