Tank Dell had a plan in place.
Heading into the showdown with the Cardinals, Dell told Texans wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Ben McDaniels that if he scored a touchdown he would jump onto the top of the wall and go in with the Texans fans.
With 26 seconds left in the first half, Dell broke off his original route as quarterback C.J. Stroud was flushed from the pocket and made a leaping catch in the endzone for a 40-yard score to give the Texans a 21-10 halftime lead.
And then into the stands he went.
"They wouldn't let me up there at first, my leg was stuck off the side but then they started scooting over and I got up there," Dell said. "It was fun, it felt good."
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans added: "As I see C.J. rolling towards our sidelines I look up and I see Tank has a step on the defender. When I see those two in a position to make a play, nine times out of 10, Tank is coming down with that ball.
"As soon as it left C.J.'s hand, I knew it was a touchdown."
It was Dell's sixth touchdown reception of the season, which broke the previous franchise rookie receiver record held by Owen Daniels set in 2006.
It won't ben Dell's last either at NRG Stadium and asked if he just started a celebratory tradition for Tank Touchdowns, he smiled.
"Yeah, I might," he responded on if he'd do it again.
Dell finished the game with a team-leading eight catches for a career-high 149 yards and the score. This marks the third 100-yard receiving performance of his young career. His previous career high was 145 yards set back in Week 3 at Jacksonville.
"It felt good, of course, but the win felt better," Dell said about his performance. "Started up front and with the play-calling. Coach [Bobby] Slowik dialed up a great gameplan. You know 7 does what 7 does, he was putting the ball on point and we were connecting. The win felt great."
Between Stroud and Dell have connected for 42 catches for 659 yards and six scores this season, which is just a tick behind the numbers Stroud and Collins have combined for in 2023.
"He's somebody who I was in contact with right after we both got drafted," Stroud said. "We stayed in contact, helping each other with the plays and then we got here and we just had a natural connection. That's grown from hard work, being very disciplined and things like that. I'm super proud to see the fruits of his labor pay off. He's going to continue to do great things. He's definitely a superstar in this league."
Dell added: "[C.J.] is the best player on the field every time he steps out there. It starts up front but he put the ball where it is supposed to be and he does a great job of that."
