The Houston Texans have had a change at quarterback, and opposing defenses know it.
When Tyrod Taylor was under center, the Texans had an 8.82 yards per pass attempt. Teams couldn’t exactly stack the box as they had to be concerned with the former Pro Bowler’s ability to get the ball out to receivers Brandin Cooks and Chris Conley.
With Davis Mills filling in for Taylor, who is on injured reserve with a hamstring strain, the Texans’s yards per attempt dropped to 6.0 against the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, resulting in a 24-9 loss.
It is almost as though defenses understand Mills is not a downfield threat as Taylor was, and stack the box accordingly. The run game has suffered as the team has generated a total of 82 and 42 yards in the past two losses in as many weeks.
Running back Mark Ingram says the Texans just have to adjust to what defenses are doing against the run.
“You just have to adjust and adapt to whatever they are showing you,” said Ingram. “If they are bringing pressure or bringing more people in the box, we just have to prove to them different. That we can throw the ball through the air. That we can run the ball still, effectively and efficiently. That’s just on us as an offense and us as a team. If they give us something you have to be to adapt, you have to be able to adjust, you have to be able to execute.”
Mills completed 19 passes on 28 attempts for 168 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers in the loss on Thursday Night Football at NRG Stadium. The Texans appeared to be hesitant in their play-calling to go downfield, which invited stacking the box.
“If they are bringing more people in the box, we have to make sure we are protecting it up front, keeping him clean so he can make throws down the field,” said Ingram. “If there’s a run called, we have to make sure we are efficient. Everyone is on who they are blocking, who their assignments are, and we have to run hard and take care of the ball. No matter what defenses are doing to us we have to adapt, we have to adjust, we have to execute, and we have to stay the course.”
Houston will get a chance to prove their ability to adapt against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time from Highmark Stadium.