Joe Mixon has been a key player for Houston’s offense in the three games since he returned from injury.
This week, he could be even more crucial as the Texans face another injury to a top receiver after Stefon Diggs went down on Sunday.
Diggs suffered a non-contact injury to his right knee, and coach DeMeco Ryans did not share any details about it on Monday, only saying that he is still being evaluated.
This injury comes as leading receiver Nico Collins is out for at least one more game after being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
Mixon has rushed for at least 100 yards and scored a touchdown in three straight games. He had 102 rushing yards and a touchdown in Houston’s 23-20 win over Indianapolis on Sunday.
“Joe showed up big time for us when we needed him most making plays,” Ryans said.
Mixon, now in his first season with Houston after being traded from Cincinnati, made history as the first player in the NFL to have at least 100 rushing yards and a touchdown in four of his first five games with a new team.
The only time he didn’t reach 100 yards and score this season was in Week 2 when he missed almost the whole second half due to an ankle injury, which kept him out for the next three games. He ranks third in the NFL, averaging 100.6 rushing yards per game.
If Diggs is unable to play this week, Tank Dell is expected to take on a bigger role in the passing game.
Dell’s production has decreased this season after a strong rookie year in which he had 709 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games before breaking his leg. He has 229 receiving yards this season and scored his second touchdown in Sunday’s victory, which improved the AFC South-leading Texans to 6-2.
But Ryans mentioned that it will require a team effort to keep Stroud and Houston’s passing attack, which is ranked eighth in the NFL, performing well.
“What I loved about our game (Sunday) was that you saw multiple guys stepping up and making plays,” he said. “That is what excites me the most about our team … a lot of different guys stepping up and making plays and that is what we will continue to see.”
