Keeping TE Darren Fells is key to the Texans’ red zone offense

The Houston Texans were tied for the fifth-worst red zone offense in the NFL in 2018 with a 50% conversion rate.

Their fortunes changed in 2019 as the AFC South champions finished as the seventh-best red zone offense with a 64.2% conversion rate. What was the difference?

Enter tight end Darren Fells. The 6-7, 270-pound former basketball player provided a big target for quarterback Deshaun Watson in the red zone. Fells was also able to develop cohesion with the two-time Pro Bowler, leading to seven touchdown catches, tied with receiver DeAndre Hopkins for the most on the team.

“A big, long target, athletic, he’s improving as a blocker, seems to be very reliable the closer you get to the end zone,” Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel said of Fells on Dec. 11, 2019.

Best TD rate on end-zone targets last season (TEs)

1. Dallas Goedert – 83%
1. Darren Fells – 83%
3. Kyle Rudolph – 57%
4. Mark Andrews – 55%
4. Jared Cook – 55% pic.twitter.com/o3BBJhlY5F

— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) June 9, 2020

 

If the Texans are going to stay in the top-10 in red zone production, they will need Fells to similarly keep playing at a high level inside the 20-yard line.