Nelson had a phenomenal 2023 season, one of the best of his career on paper. He started 16 games, missing just one to injury, and tied his previous career-high with four interceptions. It would have been five if postseason statistics were recorded.
His big plays came in huge moments for the Texans. His interception of New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr sealed a pivotal win for Houston in Week 6. In the AFC wild-card round, Nelson’s Pick 6 of Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco turned the tide of the game and contributed to Houston’s unexpected 45-14 win.
The @HoustonTexans first pick-6 of the season came at a pretty good time.
📺: #CLEvsHOU on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/jM781VisSx pic.twitter.com/h5pC52nrZu— NFL (@NFL) January 13, 2024
Nelson was Houston’s most consistent player in the defensive backfield and it would be amiss not to mention how that related to Stingley. When the former No. 3 overall pick was forced to miss time early in the season, Nelson stepped up in a big way. He was a consistent contributor and defended passes in five of the team’s first six games.
Once Stingley returned in Week 10, Nelson continued his high-level play until late in the season beginning to somewhat slow down. However, that bought more than enough time for Houston to transition to a system where Stingley was able to fully play towards his talent and begin traveling with the top receiver of each team for the AFC Playoffs.
Overall, Nelson’s steady impact whether opposite of Stingley or cornerback Shaquill Griffin was a huge part of steadying a defensive secondary that never could find consistent play from their safeties.
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