The Houston Texans’ season is over. After finishing 10-6, they found themselves in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs, only to lose a 24-0 lead to the Kansas City Chiefs, who moved on by winning in 51-31 fashion.
With the season now over for the Texans, let’s take a gander at the wide receiver position group.
Per usual, DeAndre Hopkins led the Texans’ receiving corps. For the third straight season, he made the first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl for his efforts, despite not amassing his usual gaudy numbers. In 15 games, the 27-year-old tallied 104 receptions for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns.
Again, Will Fuller acted as Hopkins’ sidekick. Again, he struggled with injuries for the entirety of the season, with hamstring and groin ailments taking away five contests for the speedster out of Notre Dame.
Despite missing significant time and finished nine of his 11 games, Fuller notched his career-high in yards with 670. He also added in 49 receptions and three touchdowns. In games that he started and finished, the Texans went 7-2, proving he is a catalyst to success.
Kenny Stills once looked to be a throw-in in the famed Laremy Tunsil trade. He quickly proved his worth. Though he missed three games (two due to a hamstring), Stills looks like a mainstay in the Texans’ offense, as he tallied 40 receptions for 561 yards and four touchdowns. His speed made him a perfect replacement to Fuller when injured.
Keke Coutee, DeAndre Carter and Steven Mitchell round out the Texans’ 2019 receiving corps.
Coutee entered the season as a name on the breakout list. Then, the slot receiver got himself in trouble. Throughout the first half of the season, the Texas Tech product saw himself making key mistakes, including wrongly ran routes and drops. He was in the doghouse for much of the season and didn’t see an offensive snap in the playoffs.
Carter, a return man, took advantage of Coutee’s mishaps. Bill O’Brien opted to use the speedster as their slot receiver in the latter half of the season. He finished the year with 11 receptions for 162 yards.
Mitchell saw most of his playing time in a meaningless season finale game. He wound-up catching two balls for 37 yards in 2019. Like Coutee, he made a few mistakes when an opening on the roster popped up for him.
For 2020, Hopkins, Fuller and Stills should be locks to make the roster. When healthy, the trio makes for one of the best receiver combinations in the NFL. As for the rest, they will likely be playing for their respective spots in the offseason.