The Houston Texans defense has taken a significant hit with star linebacker Whitney Mercilus suffering a chest injury.
According to Deepi Sidhu of the team's official site, he was quickly ruled out of the team's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
J.J. Watt was also quickly ruled out after suffering a knee injury, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Texans defense adjusted on the fly without the All-Pro defensive end for 13 games last season.
When Watt was on the shelf, Mercilus took the mantle as Houston's most consistent defensive player.