Running back Joe Mixon may become the Houston Texans’ most important skill player if wide receiver Stefon Diggs misses multiple games with a knee issue.
In Sunday’s 23-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Diggs exited with a non-contact injury in the third quarter. According to Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk, Diggs walked under his power before receiving X-rays. He finished with five receptions for 81 yards.
During his Monday news conference, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said they’re “still evaluating” Diggs’ knee. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter didn’t sound optimistic about the injury.
“Everybody is hoping for the best with Stefon Diggs, but there are some troubling signs here,” Schefter said Monday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “I think everyone hopes he is OK, but there are some questions about his knee.”
Losing another star wideout would hamper Houston’s passing attack.
Texans wide receiver Nico Collins — who leads Houston in receiving yards (567 in five games) — is still on injured reserve with a right hamstring injury. Diggs, meanwhile, is second on the team in receiving yards (496) and leads it in receptions (47) through his first eight games.
Second-year WR Tank Dell — who only has two TD catches in his first seven games — has yet to prove he’s a viable No. 1 option.
Houston’s shaky offensive line could make life harder for quarterback C.J. Stroud. The second-year passer has been sacked 22 times through his first eight starts, tied for the second most in the NFL.
To take pressure off Stroud, the Texans should keep relying on Mixon. After missing three games with a sprained ankle, the former Cincinnati Bengals star has had three straight games with 100-plus rushing yards.
On Sunday against the Colts, he rushed for 102 yards and one TD on 25 carries and tallied four receptions for 32 yards.
“I feel like I’m in my element. I’m in my zone,” Mixon told Aaron Wilson of KPRC-TV in Houston Sunday. “Honestly, it’s a great feeling to do whatever I can to put the team on my back.”
If Mixon stays in the zone, he should help the Texans (6-2) keep pace with the Buffalo Bills (6-2) and Kansas City Chiefs (7-0) in the AFC playoff race.
