Dell’s loss takes another hunk out of the Texans’ passing attack that already lost Stefon Diggs earlier this season.
“You can’t replace a Tank Dell. You can’t replace a Stefon Diggs,” offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said. “You can’t replace a Brevin Jordan. Each of them brings things that make them special, and I think Tank has a lot of things in football that make him special, and he was showing them on Saturday against the Chiefs.”
Dell caught an excellent 30-yard touchdown early in the third quarter to pull Houston within one point of the Chiefs, but teammate Jared Wayne collided with Dell’s legs, causing an awkward fall and injury.
The gruesome injury is the second consecutive December season-ender for the second-year receiver. After some shaky moments early in the season after last year’s fractured fibula and being wounded in a shooting in the offseason, Dell caught his stride in the middle of the campaign. He finished with 667 yards and three touchdowns on 51 catches in 14 contests.
The loss saps Stroud of a field-stretching weapon alongside Nico Collins. With Dell out, Robert Woods should see an increased role along with Xavier Hutchinson. When he returns from a shoulder injury, John Metchie should also see more opportunities. Diontae Johnson, who was claimed Monday off waivers from the Ravens, could help when he is acclimated to Houston’s system.
“My message to our guys is it’s about just having laser focus,” Ryans said. “There are a lot of things that can pull our attention in many different directions — physically, emotionally, everything that’s going on right now, short week, Christmas. There are a lot of things that can pull our energy, but right now, we have to be laser-focused on Baltimore.”