HOUSTON – Texans wide receiver Tank Dell returned to practice Wednesday on a limited basis in his first team work since bruising his ribs against the Minnesota Vikings and missing one game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Dell caught a season-high five passes for 62 yards on six targets in the Texans’ 34-7 loss to the Vikings.
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Dell caught 47 passes for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games as a rookie last season before he broke his fibula.
“I am very excited to have Tank back,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans. “I definitely missed him last week, Tank is a big-time player for us so we missed him. To get him back is huge for our offense and what we are able to do so I am excited to see Tank back out there today.”
#Texans wide receiver Tank Dell @Tankdell4 first practice back from bruised ribs @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/p03NhEjLxD
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 2, 2024
Texans safety Jimmie Ward returned to practice from a groin injury that sidelined him against the Jaguars with rookie Calen Bullock starting in his place. He was limited.
Both Dell and Ward were moving well in their first practice.
“Jimmie, him being out there, his versatility to help our defense is going to be big for us,” Ryans said.
Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon has made progress in his recovery from a sprained ankle that kept him out the past two games, but he was held out of practice Wednesday as the Texans continue to manage his injury suffered against the Chicago Bears on an illegal hip-drop tackle. Mixon could still wind up playing this week, barring a setback.
#Texans Joe Mixon (ankle) not practicing today which isn't unusual for a player coming off injury. Last week he did Friday practice then was inactive as a gametime decision. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/3hRUrsJ9YF
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 2, 2024
Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who sprained his ankle against the Jaguars and finished the game after getting checked out by trainers, was held out of practice Wednesday. Tunsil is expected to practice this week and play on Sunday against the Bills
“Yeah, day to day,” Ryans said of Mixon and Tunsil. “We will see tomorrow, see how it goes. We didn’t have those guys out at practice today so we will see tomorrow, see how the rest of the week goes with Laremy and Joe.”
Texans defensive end Derek Barnett didn’t practice due to a shoulder injury.
Backup running back Dameon Pierce was present at practice in a jersey, but didn’t participate due to a strained hamstring that has sidelined him for the past
Several players were limited, including linebacker Jake Hansen (back), defensive end Jerry Hughes (hip) and center Juice Scruggs (hip).
Texans defensive tackle Kurt Hinish, recovered from a strained calf, returned to practice after being designated for return from injured reserve.
Texans defensive end Dylan Horton, in remission from Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma, returned to practice after beginning the season on the non-football illness list.
Both Hinish and Horton participated fully.
NOTES: Texans rookie offensive tackle Blake Fisher stepped in for Tunsil against the Jaguars when the Pro Bowl blocker left the game to be evaluated. He played 14 snaps and had a 31.0 pass blocking grade with two quarterback hits allowed, according to Pro Football Focus analytics. He played 22 snaps overall and had a 36.1 grade with a 38.2 run blocking grade.
“Blake’s snaps where a little up and down,” Ryans said. “A little rusty where he missed a couple assignments on some plays. Some plays, he had some really good snaps. First time getting in there, live action regular season, it’s just an opportunity for him to see himself on tape and really an opportunity for him to grow. Being thrown in is very difficult to do, to be thrown in at when he was thrown in, but he was ready to go. He cleaned up some assignments and just keep working hard, Blake will be just fine.” ,,
The Texans have invested heavily in their offensive line in terms of contracts and draft resources. It’s been a rough start in terms of penalties, which the Texans lead the NFL with 40 penalties, including 11 infractions on Tunsil, the league leader. Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud has been sacked 13 times and they’ve allowed 22 total quarterback hits. And the Texans are averaging just 4.2 yards per carry and 106.8 yards on the ground per game. They only allowed two sacks, though, against Jacksonville as Stroud was provided much more time to throw and he passed for a season-high 345 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
" I am not making excuses for our offensive line,” Ryans said. “It has been up and down. It hasn’t been all good, and that is part of the season. It is part of that first month of the season. You are finding your way and you are not playing your best ball when you first start, but it is a matter of getting better throughout the season and that game last week versus the Jags, I saw our o-line take a tremendous step towards getting better.
“Great job with the protections, giving C.J. time to make those plays down the field to Nico (Collins). So, I see progression, I see our offensive line getting better and they will continue to get better as the season goes on. So, I am proud of the work they are putting in to dial in on the preparation, to dial in on getting better each and every week. So, we will see that continue to trend in the right direction.”
#Texans safety Jimmie Ward (groin) returned to practice after missing #Jaguars game @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/RcIpn7v8e6
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 2, 2024
#Texans Wednesday practice @KPRC2 that includes Tank Dell @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/CFU547GFvq
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 2, 2024
Tank Dell practicing today @KPRC2 https://t.co/6WKIOY7lYS pic.twitter.com/dljDH9zWk8
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 2, 2024
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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 click2houston.com.
