Who were the top 5 performers in Texans Week 16 loss to Chiefs?

The Houston Texans were defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16. It was a frustrating loss made worse by the injury Tank Dell suffered — which ended his season for the second year in a row.

It's easy to focus on the negative after a loss but there's always something positive to build on. For the Texans, there were several players who stood out for their strong play.

That includes these five, who were the top-graded players according to Pro Football Focus, who released their grades for the early Week 16 games.

Tank Dell, WR — 92.1

Before the injury, Tank Dell was lights out with 98 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. As bad as his injury was, it was amazing he still held on for the score, which proves just how tough he is.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans said Dell will come back stronger, and it's hard to bet against that.

Neville Hewitt, LB — 86.8

With just three tackles, Neville Hewitt didn't make much noise. Even so, PFF was high on him, especially against the run.

C.J. Stroud, QB — 83.9

C.J. Stroud had two interceptions, which he would love to have back. Despite that, the Houston QB was one of the top-rated players in this game with 244 yards and two touchdowns.

Kamari Lassiter, CB — 78.2

With four tackles and two pass breakups, Kamari Lassiter was the third-highest player and the top-graded defensive back. He was all over the field and never backed down, even when going against Xavier Worthy.

Denico Autry, DT — 77.6

Tim Settle was the one who said the Texans would go after Patrick Mahomes but it was Denico Autry who had the highest pass-rush rating. He finished with a 72.7 against the pass, helping him record a 77.6 for the game.

Honorable mention

An honorable mention needs to be made for Tytus Howard. Houston has had issues at left guard all season but Howard might have solved their problem. He's started the past two games at the position and posted a 73.6 on Sunday.

During his first start, he eanred a 57.3, which isn't great, but he was strong in pass protection with a 69.0. He saw that increase against Kansas City as well with a 74.9.

Up next for the Texans will be the Baltimore Ravens. They close the season out with a re-match against the Tennessee Titans who defeated them in Week 12.

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