HOUSTON -- Before Sunday's victory at Tennessee, the Houston Texans had seen only glimpses of the way they hoped their passing game would produce.
But because of injuries, Texans wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller and Kenny Stills have been on the field together for only roughly half of the team’s 14 games this season. Fuller has missed four games and Stills has missed two.
On Sunday against the Titans, the Texans’ offense showed just how dynamic it can be with all three playing to their potential. In Week 15, Hopkins had six catches for 119 yards, Fuller had five catches for 61 yards, and Stills’ three catches included two touchdowns.
“We’re kind of like a three-headed monster,” Stills said, “and then you have the [running] backs and the tight ends. We put a lot of pressure on defenses and we know that.”
This season, Stills has 35 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns and is averaging 15.8 yards per catch. Quarterback Deshaun Watson said Stills plays with confidence and a lot of energy, and “if you need a guy to make a play, he’ll do it.”
"[He’s a] very smart guy, very hard worker, really takes a lot of pride in what his job is [and] his role in the offense,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “Same guy every day. Not an up-and-down guy at all, very consistent person, very strong-willed person and a guy that brings a lot to the table every day."
When the Texans have all three of the receivers on the field, Watson said, it provides “more opportunities for our offense to be more explosive.”
As ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote on Monday, the Texans have 33 plays this season that have gained 30 or more yards, which is second in the NFL to only the Kansas City Chiefs. The Texans had three of those plays on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans: a 31-yard pass to Fuller late in the third quarter that put the Texans in the red zone and two 35-yard completions to Hopkins in the fourth quarter.
Fuller has had an injury-plagued NFL career since he was drafted in 2016, missing time with a broken collarbone and a torn ACL. Fuller has also missed games with a hamstring injury, including four games this season. But when Fuller is on the field, his speed means that opponents have to keep an eye downfield.
Entering the season, Houston also hoped to get a significant contribution from wide receiver Keke Coutee, a 2018 fourth-round pick who showed flashes when healthy last season. Coutee missed time after injuring his ankle in the preseason opener, but came back for Week 2. This season he’s played in only eight games, catching 21 passes for 247 yards; he also has been a healthy scratch. While Coutee has not panned out for the Texans this season, having Stills -- even though he has a different role -- has filled that void.
After the Texans’ victory Sunday that gave Houston a one-game advantage in the AFC South and ensured they can clinch the division with a victory on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hopkins was asked about his heavy usage in the fourth quarter. Hopkins gained 98 of his 119 yards in the final quarter.
“Fourth quarter, tied ballgame, why not try to get your best player involved?” Hopkins said, before raising his eyebrows.
While that probably will be the case for as long as Hopkins is playing at the level he is, it makes a big difference to have two other skilled receivers running routes at the same time.