Tank Dell’s return is arriving at the right time for a Texans offense that suddenly looks a lot more dangerous.
DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Dell will be back Sunday against the New York Giants, giving Houston another explosive option as it tries to stretch its winning streak to three games before the Week 8 bye. Dell has practiced over the past two weeks, and Ryans said the receiver is still “quick as ever” and has been giving Houston’s defenders fits in practice.
For a Texans team sitting at 2-4 after a 34-31 win over Jacksonville in London, the timing matters. The offense is starting to find its shape, and Dell is rejoining it just as the pieces around C.J. Stroud are clicking.
Stroud turned in his best statistical showing of the season against the Jaguars, completing 24 of 34 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns while Houston rolled up 426 total yards. He spread the ball to 10 different receivers, and the passing game looked much more complete than it had earlier in the year.
Jaylin Noel was the breakout name, finishing with four catches for a career-high 107 yards and a touchdown. Nico Collins added 74 yards on three receptions, and Marvin Harrison Jr. contributed three catches for 34 yards in his Texans debut.
Dell only adds another layer to that mix.
Collins gives Houston proven production and size on the outside. Harrison brings another big target who can work different parts of the field.
Noel has already shown big-play ability. Dell’s job is different: use the speed, stress defenses, create stress in space.
Motion him. Slot him.
Let him turn quickness into mismatch problems.
The Texans also got a boost from the ground game in London.
Woody Marks ran 15 times for 56 yards, and Jawhar Jordan added 43 yards on six carries, including a 25-yard touchdown. Houston finished with 114 rushing yards, enough to keep Jacksonville from selling out against the pass.
Jordan’s showing stood out, and Ryans praised him Monday for making the most of his chance after time on the practice squad. Marks also came through in a big spot, turning a short Stroud pass into a 19-yard gain on Houston’s final drive, helping set up Ka’imi Fairbairn’s game-winning 49-yard field goal.
Ryans made clear Dell doesn’t need to come back swinging for the fences right away. The priority is getting him on the field, getting him contact, and getting him through the game healthy. In other words, Houston does not need a superhero version of Dell in Week 7.
It just needs him back.
And if he returns as planned, the Texans will have one more dangerous piece in an offense that suddenly has some real juice.
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