The Houston Texans have relied on their ground game to move down the field on offense, and with a challenging matchup against the Tennessee Titans on the horizon, they will continue to lean on their running backs for major production in Week 8. Running backs coach Danny Barrett spoke to reporters about the importance of his group in the offense’s success on Thursday and made it clear that the varied skillsets they bring to the table are a major part of the success they’ve found so far this season.
“First and second down is key, whether it be running the football or out of the backfield being in a checkdown situation,” Barrett explained. “It’s been good. I think we’re more versatile than what we’ve been dealing with before. I think unpredictable as well, which is always going to keep the defense off balance. Hopefully we can continue to do that. I’m looking forward to the outing this week against Tennessee. It’s always a big game. I love that fact that we’re going to be back at home in front of our home fans, loud and proud as we come out. For us, we’ve just got to get back on track, get a win and get moving.”
The Texans faithful should have a good game on their hands on Sunday as the team looks to push the envelope of what rookie running back Dameon Pierce is able to do against their division rivals. Tennessee is sitting atop the divisional standings at the moment but will be starting rookie quarterback Malik Willis for the first time in his career.
While the quarterback change won’t affect the effectiveness of the Texans’ running backs, it could mean that Houston will have the luxury of moving the ball on the ground if they don’t have to erase a deficit as soon as the game starts. Watch for Pierce and resurgent back Dare Ogunbowale to be key fixtures in the Texans’ gameplan, and clutch contributors in the effort to secure the team’s second win of the season/