DeMeco Ryans: I have all the faith in Tank Dell

Wide receiver Tank Dell was in the Texans’ lineup for last Sunday’s game against the Packers, although you’d be forgiven for not noticing his presence.

Dell did not have a catch in the team’s 24-22 road loss. It’s the first time that Dell has played in an NFL game without catching a pass, although he also had a game with one catch for a loss of three yards in Week Two this season.

Those lowlights have contributed to a slow start for Dell this season. He is averaging 9.7 yards per catch after posting more than 15 yards a catch during his rookie season, which may be due to settling back into the lineup after breaking his leg in 2023 or the addition of Stefon Diggs to the lineup. Whatever the reason, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said this week that the team’s belief in Dell remains high.

“With Tank, he just has to keep going,” Ryans said, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC. “I believe in Tank, believe he’ll be able to make some big-time explosive plays for us. He just has to keep going and he will do that. I have all the faith in Tank.”

Diggs’s arrival changed things on the Texans offense and they shifted again when Nico Collins went on injured reserve a couple of weeks ago. Collins’s absence would seem to open the door for Dell to have a bigger role and it would be a plus for the Texans if they can find a way to make that happen in the near future.