Danielle Hunter has arrived. Tank Dell is flying high. C.J. Stroud is shining bright.
Welcome back to winning football, Houston Texans fans.
Stroud picked up where he left off last season by connecting with Dell for a 34-yard touchdown during the first quarter to set the tone in Houston’s 20-12 preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night.
Brought the energy to Pittsburgh ‼️ pic.twitter.com/MWOFrV0PxF
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 10, 2024
The Texans will return to NRG Stadium for the first time in 11 days to begin preparation for their next two preseason matchups against the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams before the start of a new campaign.
Here’s the instant analysis of Friday night’s action at Acrisure Stadium.
Offense
Albeit far from a perfect night, Stroud delivered a pass that will have fans talking throughout the weekend. On third-and-9, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year evaded a sack and stepped up to deliver a strike downfield to Dell.
The throw was perfect. Dell’s quick shoulder shrug to evade a tackle and punch it in for six was even better.
THAT 7️⃣ TO 3️⃣ CONNECTION IS SO BACK 🔥
📺: NFL Network/ABC13 pic.twitter.com/6RztbFvCdl
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 9, 2024
Last season, it was clockwork between No. 7 and No. 3 for a perfect 10-type drive against opponents before Dell’s untimely broken leg injury. Before being ruled out for the rest of the year, Dell was on pace to finish with over 1,200 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
He’s back and looking better than ever after taking a few pointers from newcomer Stefon Diggs. Even though there are plenty of mouths to feed in Stroud’s “five-headed monster” arsenal, Dell might be one of the more important ones.
Stroud finished with two completions for 41 yards in two series before being pulled. He also connected with former Ohio State teammate Cade Stover for an 8-yard pickup when under duress.
Both the second and third-team offense struggled, though Robert Woods looked promising during the second quarter. He led all receivers with four catches for 42 yards. Even if he doesn’t make the team, a performance like Friday could fuel trade rumors.
Without a stable offensive line, the rushing attack remains an underwhelming unit. Houston finished with less than 100 yards on 23 carries and averaged under 3.9 yards per attempt. Xavier Hutchinson, a receiver first, recorded the longest run of the night for 19 yards during the third quarter.
Dameon Pierce struggled to create separation after being met at the line of scrimmage four times. He finished with four yards on the evening.
