Good news: the Houston Texans have a receiving corps in 2020 that features speed across the board.
Bad news: the Texans’ receiving corps, which also consisted of Kenny Stills and Will Fuller, let quarterback Deshaun Watson down with 363 lost air yards on dropped passes, the third-most in 2019.
The new data was released from Pro Football Focus’ cache of statistics and analytics on Saturday. Among the top-5 quarterbacks on the list, Watson and the San Francisco 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo were the only ones who won playoff games. Dak Prescott and Philip Rivers were unable to lead their teams to winning records, and Carson Wentz got injured in the wild-card round, which the Philadelphia Eagles lost at home to the Seattle Seahawks.
Air yards lost on dropped passes 2019
1. Dak Prescott – 392
2. Carson Wentz – 391
3. Deshaun Watson – 363
4. Philip Rivers – 326
5. Jimmy Garoppolo – 317 pic.twitter.com/b4G4652npE— PFF (@PFF) June 6, 2020
New receiver Brandin Cooks, who the Texans acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams shortly before the 2020 NFL Draft, excels at deep balls. However, he had a down season in that regard.
“We had a lot going on and at the end of the day I dealt with some things on the field, but that does not go to show what type of player I am, the production I’ve been putting in year in and year out since I’ve been in the league,” Cooks told reporters on April 30. “That was just one of those off years, but it comes with the game. That definitely is not the trend that you should be looking for from me as a player.”
The Texans also have a new wideout in Randall Cobb that will provide more of a support role in the slot. However, Cobb had the second-most dropped passes with the Dallas Cowboys at eight. Only second-year receiver Michael Gallup had more drops with 11.
If the Texans can eliminate the lost yards due to dropped passes, then their new receiving corps could be just the diverse set of weapons Watson needs to help Houston advance beyond the divisional round.