The former third-round draft pick had set his ambitions on upgrading his contributions for the stretch run of the season for the AFC South champions. Now, his season is over.

“I’m definitely trying to improve my role and become a big factor on this team,” Dell told KPRC 2 recently. “Me, personally, I feel like my season hasn’t been good. I know what I’m capable of. I feel like I can do way much better. It starts with me. I got to go out there with a clean slate, a clean mind and make the plays I’m capable of making.”

Fifteen games into the season, Dell’s role hadn’t been as expansive as last season. He caught 51 passes for 667 yards and three touchdowns this season.

A year ago, as a rookie, Dell was on pace for 1,205 yards before he broke his leg.

During the offseason, the Texans traded for Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs and invested a three-year, $75 million contract in top wide receiver Nico Collins.

Diggs is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Collins missed five games with a pulled hamstring, but has been dominant since being activated from injured reserve and caught a pair of touchdown passes from Stroud against Miami.

“I feel like we’re always in this position, losing one of our best guys,” Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil said. “I hope we’re not cursed, but that’s what it feels like. You got to keep your head up.”

The Texans’ wide receiver position is now in flux behind Collins and will likely turn to Robert Woods, Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchie III whenever Metchie returns from a shoulder injury.

Ryans was noncommittal on whether Metchie will be able to play Wednesday against the Baltimore Ravens. Metchie is improving, but he didn’t practice last week.

“There is a chance John could be back,” Ryans said. “I think he’s progressing, so we’ll see where he ends up on Wednesday.”

It’s a lot of calamity for a talented position group that entered the season with sky-high expectations.

“It’s hard, it’s tough,” Hutchinson said. “You never want to see someone like Tank go out, with everything that he’s been through, everything that he’s battled through and having the game he was having, it sucks. He’s a big part of this team. We’re going to miss him. You try to play for him. He would have played with his heart out. He wears his heart on the sleeve.

“You go out and do the same thing for him and play with that intensity and the love of the game he has. You just try to do your best, it’s not easy. That’s my guy. We came in at the same time. Anything he was going through, I feel like I could go to him. He was the light in the receiving room, he was the light, for the entire team. Hopefully, I can see him and talk to him soon. He’s going to fight back. He’s going to come back even stronger like he did this year. It’s only a matter of time.”

Now, the Texans have a football game Wednesday against the Ravens, the team that ended their season during the AFC divisional round a year ago.

“We’ll figure that out,” Stroud said. “The easy answer is to tell you something that will make you feel nice. It’s not the truth right now. The truth is it’s not easy seeing your brother go down like that. We’ll have to go in there and get recovery and get ready for Wednesday because it’s another big-time opponent, another great team, another playoff atmosphere on Christmas Day. What more could you ask for? But, right now, our thoughts and our focus is on Tank.”

NOTES: The Texans didn’t practice Sunday, but posted an estimated injury report on what players’ participation would have been had they gotten on the practice field.

Not practicing, Dell, of course, along with Ward and Mason along with defensive end Will Anderson Jr. due to a hand injury, defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi because of a foot injury that kept him out against Kansas City and left guard Juice Scruggs, whose injured foot is making progress.

Rookie tight end Cade Stover, who traveled with the Texans for the Kansas City game one week after undergoing an emergency appendectomy, was listed as limited in what can only be interpreted as a positive update.

And wide receiver John Metchie III, one of the candidate to potentially step in for Dell, was listed as limited with a shoulder injury that kept him out against the Chiefs.

Starting linebacker Christian Harris, who had a sack on Patrick Mahomes after injuring his ankle late last week and being listed as questionable, was listed as limited along with defensive end Denico Autry, who has been dealing with a lingering knee injury all season.

Backup offensive lineman Nick Broeker participated fully with a hand injury.

Chris Gordy