National Football League

How Texans continue their playoff push without injured star Tank Dell

Published Dec. 6, 2023 5:27 p.m. ET

C.J. Stroud didn't want to sugarcoat the loss of Tank Dell.

A third-round rookie receiver, Dell has been one of the Texans' most dynamic players, one of the key cogs in the team's resurgence this season. And now he's out for the year after fracturing his left fibula run-blocking on a touchdown in the first quarter of Houston's win over Denver on Sunday.

"I can't come up here and lie and say, ‘Ah, we'll be all right.' It's not," said Stroud postgame, holding back emotion. "I love him to death. I told him that. [No.] 7 to [No.] 3 will be a great duo for the next couple years right when he gets back."

In the present though, the Texans will have to continue their playoff push without him, starting Sunday against the Jets (4-8).

In Dell, Houston is losing its No. 2 receiver. His rookie season ends with 47 receptions for 709 yards (second among NFL rookies) and a team-high seven touchdowns (tied for first among NFL rookies). He had a special rapport with Stroud, evident in their connection in scramble-drill and extended-play situations. Stroud had a 113.7 passer rating targeting Dell this season, according to Next Gen Stats.

What the Texans will miss the most is Dell's ability to take the top off a defense. And explosive plays are where Houston (7-5) has thrived this season. The team has 59 receptions of 20-plus yards, which leads the NFL, according to Sportradar.

Dell has four deep touchdowns (20-plus air yards), tied for third in the league, per NGS.

"He's been such an inspiration for our team," coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday. "An incredible young man. Happy the season he had as a rookie and the impact that he has as a person, as a player for our organization. But we expect to get him back before the next offseason program."

Dell's injury gives fellow receiver Nico Collins a chance to continue asserting himself as a No. 1 option.

After missing 10 games his first two seasons, the 6-foot-4 Collins hasn't missed a contest this year. As a result, he has registered career-highs across the board — in receptions (59), receiving yards (991), yards per reception (16.8), touchdowns (6), first downs (39) and catch rate (69.4%). His yards-per-receptions mark ranks third in the league.

How will C.J. Stroud and the Texans respond after Tank Dell's injury?

Just as Dell was a deep threat for the Texans, so is Collins. The 2021 third-round pick has a team-high nine deep receptions, which is tied for fourth in the NFL. Houston will continue depending on him in that department.

But the Texans will also need veteran wideout Noah Brown to help fill the void in explosive plays, especially considering that tight end Dalton Schultz — the team's third leading pass-catcher, with 455 receiving yards and five touchdowns — could miss more time with a hamstring injury. He was sidelined Sunday vs. Denver.

Behind Collins and Dell, Brown has the third-most deep receptions on the team (6). Brown made his return last week from a knee injury, catching neither of his two targets. But in the two games leading up to the injury, he had a combined 13 receptions for 321 yards, second in the league in that span.

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The Texans defense must continue its upward trajectory as well, taking pressure off Stroud and an offense that has an inconsistent run game (Houston ranks 24th with 97.9 rushing yards per game).

Led by Jonathan Greenard (team-high 8 sacks) and No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr. (5 sacks), Houston's defensive line has been playing at a high level and creating turnover opportunities. The Texans have a 39.9% pressure rate, sixth in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. Houston has six takeaways in the past three games (the most they've had in a three-game stretch all season), including three interceptions last week against the Broncos.

"The expectation in general from what DeMeco wants, it's just at an all-time high now because we understand what's at stake," Greenard said Monday. "We understand how good we can be because we've seen it at times when we're on, we're pretty good. Obviously, we have little lapses. …. Once we clean those things up and play our best ball — which we still haven't done yet — it's going to be a very, very good thing to see."

It could still be a very good finish for this surprising Texans team overall, even without Dell.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.