Houston Texans: 3 Takeaways From Loss To New York Jets

The Houston Texans just took a tough loss to a struggling New York Jets team. The game was never out of reach per se, but Houston didn’t really show off the high-flying offense fans have been used to seeing. This was partly due to offensive line issues, but frankly, every unit on the team can likely point to something they could have done better on Thursday Night Football.

Tank Dell Is Still A Strong Wide Receiver

Perhaps no player has had the same amount of pressure placed on them as Tank Dell had going into the game against the Jets. Stefon Diggs is out for the year, and Nico Collins has one more week to rest on injured reserve. This made Tank Dell the number one option for C.J. Stroud, and he did not disappoint.

While it would have been nice for him to score a touchdown, Dell still had 126 yards on only six catches. Stroud was finding Dell on those long post routes that usually go to Nico Collins. Stroud didn’t have a great secondary option in the game, but he could at least rely on Dell. This proves that his talent didn’t disappear; he just has fewer opportunities to shine next to Diggs and Collins.

The Offensive Line Is Still Working On Protecting C.J. Stroud

If anyone is scratching their heads as to why the Houston Texans couldn’t beat a 2-6 team, they just need to look at one stat: sacks. C.J. Stroud was sacked eight times for a total loss of 56 yards. These sacks came at really bad times as well; one was at the end of the game while they were driving to mount a comeback.

Plain and simple, the Houston Texans need to work on this area. That doesn’t mean they should never give up another sack during the entire season. It would be more accurate to say that they need to keep Stroud from getting hit on the majority of his passes. Once Collins returns, Stroud will need time to line up those long passes they are accustomed to throwing.

Joe Mixon Opens Up The Offense A Lot

Especially without their top 2 wide receivers, the Houston Texans needed Mixon to get going so their offense could work. Stroud threw on every down during the first few drives of the game, and those drives basically went nowhere. Afterward, they started running with Mixon a little, which led them to move the chains.

In the future, the Houston Texans might not have any issues moving the football, but they should consider getting Mixon going early in these games. Against the stronger defenses in the league, Houston needs to run the ball to open up those powerful options in the passing game.