Texans look to regroup as they prepare for Ravens after Tank Dell suffers another injury

By KRISTIE RIEKEN The Associated Press

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (3) catches a touchdown pass as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) defends during the second half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. Dell was injured on the play. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Charlie Riedel]

HOUSTON (AP) — For a second straight season, the Houston Texans will be without Tank Dell to end the regular season and for the playoffs after the dynamic receiver suffered another major injury.

Dell sustained what coach DeMeco Ryans called a “significant” knee injury on a 30-yard touchdown catch in Houston’s loss to Kansas City on Saturday. Though the team hasn’t officially ruled him out for the season, it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to return after he was hospitalized overnight following the injury.

Ryans said Sunday that Dell had been released from the hospital and was heading back to Houston. He added that he was still being evaluated to see what the next steps would be.

This injury comes after Dell fractured his fibula in Week 13 against the Broncos last season and had surgery on it the following day.

“It’s tough to see guys get injured, the work that guys put in, how much they put their bodies on the line to play this game,” Ryans said. “It’s deeper than football. We are talking about real people who have real emotions and real feelings who are going through a tough time right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in that situation.”

The AFC South champion Texans will have to regroup quickly with a visit from the Ravens coming on Christmas Day. Dell’s injury is another blow to a team that was already missing Stefon Diggs after the four-time Pro Bowl receiver sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 8.

Dell ranks second on the team with 51 receptions for 667 yards and three touchdowns behind Nico Collins, who has 909 yards receiving and six scores.

Tight end Dalton Schultz has 482 yards receiving and two touchdowns and running back Joe Mixon 291 yards receiving and a touchdown grab. But with Dell and Diggs out, the Texans are thin at receiver.

John Metchie, who has just 182 yards receiving this season, could fill in for Diggs this week, but his status is uncertain after he missed Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury.

“There is a chance John could be back,” Ryans said. “I think he’s progressing, so we’ll see where he ends up on Wednesday.”

Other options at the position are veteran Robert Woods, who has just 143 yards receiving this season, and Xavier Hutchinson, who nine catches.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud, one of Dell’s closest friends, was distraught after Dell’s injury and remained upset after the game. He said it will be difficult for the team to bounce back after losing Dell to a serious injury again.

“The easy answer is to tell you something to make everybody feel nice, but it’s not the truth right now,” he said after the game. “The truth is that it’s not easy seeing your brother go down like that. (Sunday) we’ll have to get recovery, get ready for Wednesday because it’s another big-time opponent. The Ravens are a great team. It’ll be a playoff atmosphere on Christmas Day.”

What’s working

Stroud distributed the ball well Saturday, completing passes to six different players. Dell led the way with six receptions for 98 yards and Collins had seven receptions for 60 yards while being double-teamed often.

With teams likely to place even more emphasis on stopping Collins with Dell out, Stroud will need to continue to spread the ball around against the Ravens.

What needs help

The Texans continue to struggle in the red zone and converted just 1 of 3 opportunities Saturday. This comes after they were also 1 of 3 in a win over the Jaguars in Week 13 and converted just 2 of 4 chances in a loss to the Titans in Week 12.

“We had our opportunities, and it just comes down to as simple as guys being in the right spot,” Ryans said. “We just have to make the plays. We have to finish and that’s all it comes down to.”

Stock up

LB Christian Harris had seventh tackles and a sack against the Chiefs in his second game of the season after missing the first 13 with a calf injury. His sack was Houston’s 46th of the season, which ties a franchise record that was set last season.

Stock down

K Ka’imi Fairbairn missed an extra point Saturday. He’s been excellent from long range this season, making 13 field goals longer than 50 yards. But has struggled on shorter kicks, missing two from less than 30 yards before Saturday’s PAT miss.

Injuries

S Jimmie Ward injured his foot Saturday and could miss the rest of the season. … G Shaq Mason injured his knee against the Chiefs and will likely miss Wednesday’s game.

Key number

10 — Dell’s touchdown Saturday was the 10th of his career, tying Hall of Famer Andre Johnson for most TD catches by a Texans through their first two seasons.

Next steps

The Texans look for their first win over Baltimore since 2014 after five consecutive wins by the Ravens, including a 34-10 victory in the divisional round of the playoffs last season.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl