J.J. Watt placed on IR

HOUSTON (AP) - J.J. Watt is out until at least December and could miss the rest of the season with an injured back, leaving the Texans searching for ways to deal with the loss of the NFL's best defensive player.

Watt was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, which means he'll be out for a minimum of eight weeks.

"You can never replace the best player in the NFL," coach Bill O'Brien said. "When someone like that goes down, it's a tough thing obviously, but at the same time this is a team.

"A team made up of some really good veteran leaders, some really good young players. We're looking forward to the challenges that are ahead."

O'Brien said Watt had re-injured his back and putting him on IR was the best thing for his long-term health.

"It's flared up to the point where he can't continue to play right now," O'Brien said. "Going on IR will give J.J. all the time he needs to make sure that he's 100 percent healthy and back to being himself."

The team was still exploring the injury and it's unclear if it will require surgery.

Watt, who has won the Defensive Player of the Year for the past two seasons, missed training camp and Houston's four preseason games after surgery in July to repair a herniated disk in his back. 

The defensive end started each of the team's three regular-season games and got hurt again Thursday against the Patriots.

Some have wondered if Watt's latest setback came because he returned too quickly from surgery in July. O'Brien dismissed that suggestion.

"J.J. did absolutely everything he could do to get back on the field after surgery this summer," he said. "He followed his doctor's orders, he played it smart. He passed every test before being cleared to play."

Watt is the latest star player to suffer a significant injury this season after Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson and Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III have all been placed on injured reserve in recent weeks.