The Texans will then possibly have a shakeup on the defensive line. With Travis Johnson nursing an ankle sprain, the Texans hope to get Amobi Okoye (ankle) back. That would leave Frank Okam still playing a number of repetitions, along with DelJuan Robinson and Jeff Zgonina at tackle. If Johnson is healthy, Okam will be inactive.

The Texans will get rookie Antwaun Molden involved more in the pass defense possibly this week. They want him to play at corner, but didn't work him into the game last week. He is primarily playing on special teams.

Andre' Davis could be activated this week, making him the third receiver and cutting back the playing time of David Anderson and Jacoby Jones.

PLAYER NOTES

--QB Matt Schaub started throwing Wednesday. He will likely miss four more starts at least though.

--LG Chester Pitts (calf) didn't practice Thursday, but it's still possible he will play Sunday.

--CB Dunta Robinson is expected to make his first start of the season this weekend. He will play at one of the outside positions, though the coaches aren't saying whether he will replace Jacques Reeves or Fred Bennett.

--LB Morlon Greenwood (ankle) will not start this week, but he will be available to back up all three linebacker positions.

--G Chris White will be the primary backup to Chester Pitts if Pitts is too hurt to play this week. He has practiced with the first-team offensive line all week.

--RB Steve Slaton has been limited in practice this week because of a bruised chest, but he isn't expected to be limited in the game by the injury.

--DT Amobi Okoye (ankle) was limited in practice Wednesday. The Texans remain optimistic he will return after missing two starts to play Sunday.

--DT Travis Johnson (ankle) he was limited in practice, but coaches are optimistic he will play Sunday.

--WR Andre' Davis (finger) was working on catching balls Wednesday. If the coaches are confident he can catch hard thrown balls in the game Sunday, he will return as their No. 3 target.

GAME PLAN: Offensively, the Texans must come out running the ball again. They did a good job against the Colts last week of running the ball to start the game and they never abandoned that plan, even when they were down by 10 late. It paid off. The Texans played by far their best game ever in Indianapolis. The Texans have found a good combination with rookie Steve Slaton and veteran Ahman Green. Now, they just need both of the backs to stay healthy.

Defensively, the Texans must find a way to stop the run. They are missing too many assignments and tackles. It especially becomes an issue in the second half of games. They rotate players to keep them fresh, but that doesn't seem to be working. The Texans may need to rework their scheme or reshuffle their defensive lineup again.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Browns WR Braylon Edwards vs. Texans CB Jacques Reeves. The Texans' cornerback has been picked on a number of times this season. Consistency is his biggest issue. He will make a key play in a game, but he will also get burned once or twice. Edwards will enter the game with a lot of confidence after having more than 100 receiving yards on Monday Night Football. Reeves will need to stay in step with Edwards and look for the ball.

Texans RB Steve Slaton vs. Browns LB Andra Davis. The Texans rookie will be looking to get past the defensive line and Davis will be trying to stop him from getting into the secondary. Slaton has a burst of speed and runs low to the ground. The combination is making it hard for defenders to tackle him. He rushed for 156 yards last week, but he had just 14 carries, meaning he won't be overly worn down this week.

Texans WR Andre Johnson vs. Browns CB Eric Wright. The Texans are going to look again to get Johnson more involved. He has yet to even top 70 yards in the month of November. In October, he topped 130 yards each game. Teams are playing him in a Cover 2 and using a safety over the top most of the time. But there are times when Johnson is in man coverage, and Sage Rosenfels needs to find him in those instances.