The Texans have seen production out of wide receiver Kenny Stills, who is still getting accustomed to Houston after his trade from the Miami Dolphins five weeks ago. Through four weeks, the speed merchant has 11 receptions for 188 yards and a score.
However, they may be forced to get similar production out of different players, as Stills is battling a hamstring injury; he could be out for Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons.
That’s not an easy task for the Bill O’Brien-led coaching staff.
“Any time you lose a guy like Kenny, it’s not easy. Kenny’s a productive player,” said O’Brien on Monday. “He’s done a good job for us, so that’s what we’re upstairs right now trying to figure that out as we move forward.”
The prime candidates to replace Stills are Keke Coutee and DeAndre Carter — while each brings speed to the table, they can’t fully replicate the starter’s skill set.
“We have Keke [Coutee], we have DeAndre Carter. They’re different types of players, though, than him, so we’ll see how that goes,” said O’Brien. “Kenny’s been a really good player for us, so we’ve got to try to figure that out.”
Running back Duke Johnson could see time in the slot, as he’s lauded for his catching and route-running prowess. However, he too can’t fully replicate what Stills brings. In large part due to Stills’ versatility.
“We can use Duke wherever. Duke can line up in a lot of different spots. I just don’t see — Kenny wasn’t a slot,” said O’Brien. “He played in the slot some, but he’s an outside guy that can go in the slot, you know what I mean? So, he’s not just a slot. Duke does a lot of different things. I wouldn’t correlate Duke with Kenny.”
If Stills is out, the Texans will need to get creative to give quarterback Deshaun Watson a similar weapon on Sunday.
