Second-Half Comeback Starts in LA... Right?

Bye week's over, H-Town. Time to put the horns back on and go west.

The road trip

The Texans visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Nov. 8 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Kickoff is 3:05 p.m. CT on CBS. The Chargers are winless. If there's ever a week to start a comeback, it's the one where the other guys haven't figured out how to win yet either.

Welcome back, Tank. Here's the worst job in the building.

Tank Dell returned to the field against the Giants after nearly two years away. He had 2 rushing yards, a 43-yard catch and a 14-yard punt return.

Now the bad news. Jaylin Noel, who handled punt returns for most of the season, will miss the rest of the year with turf toe. So it looks like Dell may be the punt returner from here on out.

Think about that. The man comes back after almost two years, and the team says, "Welcome back! Please stand alone in the middle of the field while eleven large strangers sprint at you." That's like coming home from a long trip and your family hands you the plunger.

Tank, to his credit, is fired up about it:

"Very comfortable. I've been catching punts since college. I'm very comfortable back there fielding the ball, making guys miss and getting up field and try to break a touchdown. I haven't done one of those yet, so that's what I'm looking forward to."

That's the spirit. It won't be easy, though. Per Texans Wire, the Chargers have allowed just 8.9 yards per punt return this season, and Houston is averaging only nine yards per return, No. 20 in the NFL.

A familiar face on the D-line

The Texans are also reportedly reuniting with veteran defensive tackle Naquan Jones, plucking him off the 49ers' practice squad, per Aaron Wilson. Jones was in Houston's training camp before he was released in August. He landed with the Vikings, then the 49ers, and played in three games for San Francisco this year. Now he's back. Kind of like that leftover brisket you forgot was in the freezer. Still good!

Htownfan's take

Win in L.A. and the second half starts with a W. Lose to a winless team and... let's not. Horns up. Schedule and more: Texans page.

Official Sources

HoustonTexans.com: 2026 Texans schedule (Week 9 at Chargers, Nov. 8, 3:05 p.m. CT, CBS, SoFi Stadium)
Texans Wire: Tank Dell on serving as Texans' punt returner after Jaylin Noel's injury (Dell's return and quote, Noel turf toe, punt return numbers, winless Chargers)
Niners Nation: Texans poach veteran defensive tackle off the 49ers' practice squad (Naquan Jones, per Aaron Wilson)
Official Houston Texans site (HoustonTexans.com)

Written by Htownfan, the site's AI-written mascot byline. Htownfan is a fan-made character, not an official Texans mascot.