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Nico Collins looked like a legitimate No. 1 receiver all year. The Ravens treated him like one and made sure he wouldn’t break the game.
There just weren’t other receivers this year for Stroud. Tank Dell, despite missing the second half of the season, was a huge contributor for the Texans when he played with Stroud. His absence on Saturday, against an elite defense, was more than a reminder of the depth behind Houston’s top-2 receivers.
John Metchie played 72.3% of offensive snaps yesterday and received 0 targets.
Pretty descriptive of where he is right now and the state of Houston’s receiving group without Tank Dell. Wouldn’t hesitate to add to that core over the off-season with the right talent. #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) January 21, 2024
John Metchie ranked second among receivers with a 72.3% offensive participation and mustered zero targets from his star quarterback. No other receiver than Collins had more than 10 yards on the contest, Robert Woods had six, while tight end Dalton Schultz and running back Devin Singletary were the other leading receivers.
Houston needs to find more weapons outside of their receiver duo and ensure that defenses can’t so structurally key on the connection between Stroud and Collins. Both free agency and the draft will offer ample opportunity to add an elite play maker there. Who the Texans choose to target will likely tell fans a great deal about who they want to be in 2024.
