Houston Texans' Tank Dell Returns to Leave Carolina Panthers in Spin Cycle

Dell received a hand-off from quarterback C.J. Stroud. He proceeded to execute a jump cut on Panthers' safety Sam Franklin Jr.

HOUSTON — Tank Dell returned to the field for the Houston Texans after a one-game absence due to a concussion. 

The rookie wide receiver had a subpar performance during the Texans' 15-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. Dell recorded 16 yards on three catches against the Panthers but executed a play that reminded fans of his explosiveness. 

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (3) runs as Carolina Panthers safety Xavier Woods (25) defends in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

"We must take one to the chin," Dell said. "We must correct what needs to be corrected on Monday. You must let it go. You can’t just live in the past. The game is over, you must move on to the next. That is what we are focused on. We have Tampa next week, so we have to focus on that."

With 4:44 left in the first quarter, Dell received a hand-off from quarterback C.J. Stroud. He proceeded to execute a jump cut on Panthers' safety Sam Franklin Jr. On the same play, he used a spin move on cornerback Donte Jackson, which led to a missed tackle.

.@Tankdell4 shifty with it 🤫 pic.twitter.com/hbLRZADNkT

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 29, 2023

Dell recorded 11 yards on the run, and his contributions helped the Texans close the drive with their lone touchdown of the day.

Dell's run indicated that offensive coordinator Boby Slowik wanted to use him more in the rushing attack. But following the play, the Panthers made defensive adjustments to prevent Dell from making an impact. He finished the game with 15 yards on three carries.

"I don’t think anyone got comfortable," Dell said. "The defensive ends were coming down. They had a great game plan. They came out here and played ball. They got us so we must bounce back."