FanHouse Jonathan Wilhite

Putting together a successful NFL team is as much about finding quality starters as it is about filling out the roster with competent backups. The Patriots, Steelers, Giants and Colts have won Super Bowls because they had second- and third-teamers step into the starting lineup with no discernible drop-off in productivity.

Roster spots 23-53 are almost more important than the 22 guys who are listed first on the depth chart. And it's also what separates the perennial playoff teams from those struggling to win more than they lose.

The Texans have made progress since hiring Gary Kubiak in 2006, going from two wins the year before he arrived to back-to-back eight-win seasons in '07 and '08. Not surprisingly, lack of depth -- particularly on defense -- has been one of this team's biggest weaknesses.

ESPN is reporting during its Thursday night football telecast that Auburn running back Kenny Irons will not play Saturday against Buffalo. It has been speculated on FanHouse all week that Irons may sit for Saturday's contest. He is suffering from a sprained toe and ankle as a result of last Saturday's win over LSU.

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville hinted yesterday that Irons probably wouldn't play. "I'm not going to play him unless he is 100 percent, with all the other guys we've got," Tuberville said.

This will give backup tailback Brad Lester a prime time spot to shine. Lester has been impressive off the bench this season. We should also see the debut of heralded running back Ben Tate. The Newark, Maryland native has been on campus since January and took part in Spring drills. He set the Maryland high school record for yardage in a season and career. He's expected to step in as Lester's backup and get plenty of carries.

Quarterback Brandon Cox's role will be greatly diminished Saturday. He's still suffering from a deep leg bruise and will probably only play a few series. That will make room for backup quarterback Blake Field to play most of the offensive snaps.

It was also announced Thursday that cornerback Jonathan Wilhite will not play against the Bulls. He suffered a hamstring injury last week.

Note: Auburn tailback Kenny Irons is on the cover of this week's Sporting News. Irons is shown running through the LSU defense in Saturday's 7-3 win over the purple tigers. The picture used is the one accompanying this article.

Saturday's win against LSU has come at a price for Auburn. Tight end Cole Bennett is expected to miss at least six weeks after suffering a broken right ankle in Saturday's game. He will undergo surgery Monday morning. That leaves red-shirt freshmen Tommy Trott and Gabe McKenzie to pick up the slack at tight end.

Also on the injury front, cornerback Jonathan Wilhite will miss this Saturday's contest with Buffalo because of hamstring problems.

On a more positive note, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville says that linebacker Kevin Sears will return for Saturday's game. Sears served a three game suspension for an alcohol-related incident. This the third such suspension for the troubled Sears who also missed last year's Georgia game and the Capital One Bowl.

The news is not so good for heralded linebacker Tray Blackmon. A projected starter in preseason, he will miss at least another game due to off the field troubles during the summer. He has already missed the first three games. Tuberville will only say that Blackmon will miss this weekend's game and will not speculate about his return.