Brian Cushing is out for the remainder of the 2012 season with a torn ACL.

An MRI Tuesday morning revealed the damage and Cushing will have surgery in a couple of weeks, after the swelling has gone down.

“You don’t replace players like Cush,” Gary Kubiak said. “The whole team has to step up.”

Kubiak said that Tim Dobbins, the special teams captain, is “option No. 1” to step in for Cushing.

Cushing is the Texans' leading tackler and the 'spiritual leader' of the defense.