Texans LB Brooks Reed is carted off at Detroit after suffering a groin injury. (US Presswire)

The Texans will be without LB Brooks Reed for the next few weeks after Reed suffered a groin injury at Detroit this past Thursday

“He’s got a significant groin [injury],” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. “He’s going to miss some time. Is that two weeks? I don’t know, but he’s going to miss some time right now so that’s where we’re at with him.”

Reed’s injury is the latest in a line of injuries to the Texans linebackers. Brian Cushing was lost earlier in the year to a torn ACL. LB Tim Dobbins missed last week’s game with a shoulder injury, and Kubiak said that LB Bradie James is day-to-day with a hamstring injury.

“We went from suiting nine linebackers up, contributing to special teams, playing defensively, to now if we played a game today there would be seven available players,” Kubiak said. “That affects us in a lot of areas right now. It’s just something we’re going to have to work through.”

The effect of these injuries is that some backups who have been mainly special teams players will have to contribute more defensively. It also means Kubiak will have to be conscious of not overworking his players who are pulling double duty.

That includes rookie Whitney Mercilus and Bryan Braman. Mercilus will start at the WILL linebacker position, and Connor Barwin will slide over to play SAM linebacker. Braman will back up both positions.

Mercilus had four tackles at Detroit Thursday, stepping in when Reed went down.

“Whitney did some good things in the game,” Kubiak said. “He has played his best football for us the past month, and we need that to continue.”

Quick Hits

  • CB Johnathan Joseph missed Thursday’s game with a hamstring injury and will be day-to-day this week according to Kubiak. “I think we’re moving in the right direction,” Joseph said. “Of course, it’s still a full week ahead. If I had to make my call, I think I’ll be ready to go Sunday.”
  • RB Ben Tate (hamstring) worked with trainers Monday as he continues to work his way back. Kubiak said RB Justin Forsett has filled in nicely behind RB Arian Foster, and his role won’t be diminished if Tate returns this week. “Justin’s done too good a job, been too productive for us as a football player both backing up Arian and as a special teams player for his role not to continue,” Kubiak said.
  • K Shayne Graham has made 5 of 8 field goals the last two weeks, and he has missed two potential game-winners, something that worries Kubiak. “I thought Shayne was kicking from a field goal standpoint pretty good for us,” Kubiak said. “Obviously, the last two weeks he’s had a chance to end games for us and got a second try. That’s probably not going to happen very often. So, that concerns me a little bit.”

Follow Texans blogger Sean Bielawski on Twitter, @CBSTexans.