The Houston Texans’ running game produced a 1,000-yard running back in Carlos Hyde in 2019, but the ground dimension of the offense got good production from its quarterback.
According to metrics from Pro Football Focus, Deshaun Watson had a 79.7 rushing grade in 2019, the third-highest among quarterbacks. Overall, it helped the Texans achieve an 86.7 rushing grade as a team, the fourth-highest in the NFL.
Despite the loss of their starting running back in the preseason, the Texans' 87.6 rushing grade was 4th in the NFL.
* Deshaun Watson: 79.7 rushing grade (3rd among QBs)
* Duke Johnson: 82.3 (6th among HBs)
* Carlos Hyde: 77.2 (13th) pic.twitter.com/1xLW1iqkwx
— PFF HOU Texans (@PFF_Texans) February 7, 2020
Watson rushed for 413 yards on 82 carries and scored seven touchdowns. The yards were the fourth-most by a quarterback in 2019, and the touchdowns were tied with Lamar Jackson for the second-most among quarterbacks. Only the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen had more with nine.
Delving deeper into Pro Football Reference’s stats, it appears that Watson had to scramble out of 44 of his drop-backs, the third-most in the league. As a result, he gained 7.1 yards per scramble. The dual threat of the Texans’ 2017 first-round pick is what gives the Texans’ run game a boost, even when running backs such as Hyde or Duke Johnson aren’t able to pick up yards conventionally.
Houston may have to retool their running back stable in 2020 as Hyde and Pro Bowler Lamar Miller are both set to hit free agency. If the Texans have to add new talent, they know they can at least count on Watson to provide quality yards as they rebuild the running game.