The Houston Texans had a demoralizing Week 16 in a 27-19 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Wide receiver Tank Dell went down with a heartbreaking knee injury that will end his season and likely bleed into the start of the 2025 season, and safety Jimmie Ward and guard Shaq Mason also went down, leaving the Texans shorthanded.

On Monday, head coach DeMeco Ryans provided some grim updates on the latter two on top of the devastation of the Dell injury. Ryans said that Ward suffered a mid-foot sprain that will require season-ending surgery, and that Mason is week-to-week with a knee injury.

The loss of Ward is a big one while the Texans try to manage on defense without safety Jalen Pitre, who is out for the season. Ward had replaced Pitre as the Texans' fifth defensive back who plays down in the box and helps out in the run fit as well as playing in coverage underneath. Now, it will be very difficult for the Texans so slow down some of the league's best offenses.

Mason is a key cog in an offensive line that has been one of the worst units in the NFL this season. while Mason hasn't played his best football this season, losing a starter usually isn't the best solution to protection woes up front. If Mason is forced to miss significant time, the Texans will struggle to both run the ball and protect C.J. Stroud through the postseason.

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The Houston Texans have been one of the more disappointing teams in the NFL this season despite racing out to a 9-6 record and another AFC South title. While the team has played well on defense, especially up front, the offense has been inconsistent and sometimes infuriating to watch.

C.J. Stroud isn't playing as well in year two as he did as a rookie, and while some of that has to fall on him, the situation around him with the rest of the offense isn't doing the former Ohio State star any favors.

The Texans haven't been able to run the ball all year, and have taken more negative gains on run plays than just about any other team in football. In the passing game, the offensive line has been extremely poor, forcing Stroud to play more sped up than he would like to.

Simply put, the young quarterback is asked to lift this offense all on his own each and every week. The play calling is inconsistent — every time the Texans try to get anything for free, a screen, a cheap run play, they get nothing. Skill position injuries to Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and now Tank Dell have also taken all of the explosiveness out of the offense.

Stroud is still capable of playing at a very high level, but the Texans have a lot of problems to fix in not very much time as they charge toward the playoffs.