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Can Houston Texans' Receiver Robert Woods Step Up After Stefon Diggs Injury?

Can former USC Trojans wide receiver Robert Woods answer the call for the Houston Texas after All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs went down with a torn ACL? Questions about who would step up in Diggs' absence remain after a 21-13 loss to the New York Jets.

Kyron Samuels

Sep 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Robert Woods (2) before the game against the Chicago Bears at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Sep 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Robert Woods (2) before the game against the Chicago Bears at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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Former USC Trojans wide receiver Robert Woods has seen an increased role in the Houston Texans' offense after multiple injuries to his position room in the 2024 season.

The Houston Texans suffered a gut-wrenching 21-13 loss to quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football. It was a game that the Texans never truly felt in control of despite having a lead for most of the game. The Jets, thanks to a handful of costly errors, didn’t score until the second half of the ball game and then ultimately created separation in the fourth quarter as the game went on. 

The Houston Texans' Pro Bowl quarterback struggled, going 11/30 for 191 yards and no touchdowns, but the untimely result was not on Stroud alone. He was sacked eight times, and pressures were in the double digits. Pass Protection is questionable at best. Another mounting question leaving the game is which Houston player will emerge as the wide receiver behind Tank Dell. With two receptions for 44 receiving yards, veteran wide receiver Robert Woods could be the answer. 

"To come out here on a prime-time game and get embarrassed, that is never fun. . . . We have to be better in a lot of areas, and it starts with me. There's plays I got to make, throws I got to make. I point the finger at me and realize I got to be better as a football player. If we want to win, this is not the recipe for it. We got to learn how to dominate. This is definitely a great wake-up call for us to tighten up the ship," said C.J. Stroud to Texans reports after the game. 

Statements like that from a team that is 6-3 and coming off a playoff win last season show just how high the expectations are in Houston. Despite losing star wide receiver Stefon Diggs for the season to an ACL injury and Nico Collins, who was leading the National Football League in receiving yards when he went down, for the extended future, the expectation remains to win every ball game. 

Woods, a former USC Trojan, is in his second season with the Houston Texans. During the 2023 season, Woods emerged as a safety valve in his 14-game appearances, totaling 40 receptions, 426 receiving yards, and a touchdown reception. Woods is also, more notably at this stage of his career, an exceptional blocker in the running game. He’s as valuable of a veteran depth wide receiver as there is in the NFL, and he could be the perfect answer for a short-term solution for the Texans.

Houston Texans WR Robert Wood
Aug 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Robert Woods (2) before the game against the New York Giants at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Stroud will be under pressure for the remainder of the season. Thus, his internal clock will have to speed up even faster than it already operates. Stroud will need savvy, trustworthy targets that he can expect to be where they are supposed to be, but also smart enough to know when to break off plays like finding the sweet spot in zone coverage and settling or coming back to the quarterback on a scramble drill to give Stroud a fighting chance.

The Texans are still a solid football team, and with veterans like Robert Woods, they have short-term options to patch their wounds. 

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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

Kyron Samuels is a former college and professional football player now a writer, analyst, & digital host. Kyron is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and contributes to Oregon Ducks on SI. A graduate and letterman at Jacksonville State University, Samuels was a three-year starter, two-time all-conference, and won three consecutive conference titles. After a four-year professional stint between the AFL & XFL, Samuels retired from football. In 2022, Samuels was inducted into the Fairhope Athletic Hall of Fame. Post-playing career, Samuels has become a credentialed sports media member covering the NFL, UFL, USFL, & college football. The NFL Combine, Reese’s Senior Bowl, & East-West Shrine Bowl are amongst the events Kyron has covered. As a guest and host, Samuels has been featured on ESPNRadio, FoxSportsRadio, & IHeartRadio. Outside of sports media, Samuels works as a scouting consultant and has experience coaching at the collegiate level.

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