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Almost a year since he contacted the Houston Texans on Instagram pleading with them not to let him leave the city, rookie wide receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell made his first-ever National Football League (NFL) start with the team in their Sept. 17 home opener against the Indianapolis Colts. The third-rounder taken out of the nearby University of Houston (UH) took full advantage of the opportunity and turned in a seven-reception, 72-yard performance for a touchdown in the 31-20 loss to the visitors.
“It felt good,” Dell said at a Sept. 18 press conference. “I felt like Coach [Bobby Slowik] dialed up a great game plan for us – me, Nico [Collins], [Rob] Woods, all the receivers. We all got in there and got some touches and showed what we’re capable of doing all throughout the season,” he said.
According to a report on the Texans’ website, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud connected with Dell for the latter’s first NFL touchdown, a 23-yard pitch-and-catch, with 9:54 remaining in the Week 2 contest. The report said that the Texans' equipment crew taped the ball up and marked it with the ex-Cougar’s statistic from the play.
“It’s special,” Dell said. “I'm planning on giving it to my mom.”
The game appeared to be one giant leap in Stroud’s transition from Ohio State University to the Texans as the second overall pick of last spring’s draft as he threw for 384 yards and two touchdowns on 30-of-47 passing, which ESPN reported was the second-most by any player 21 years old or younger since the league merged in 1970. His first touchdown toss as a pro found its way into the hands of Nico Collins in the first quarter, ESPN reported. The third-year wideout ended the afternoon with seven catches for 146 yards.
Per The Associated Press (AP), while the Texans offense showed signs of improvement, the defense didn’t resemble the unit that kept Lamar Jackson to just a shade under 170 passing yards in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens. Colts rookie signal-caller Anthony Richardson scampered for two rushing touchdowns in the first quarter before suffering a concussion that took him out of the game. Houston failed to register a sack against their visitors, the AP reported.