The Houston Texans’ run game was putrid in 2021.
The Texans’ were at the bottom of the league with 3.4 yards per carry and 83.6 rushing yards per game. Not only did Houston have just one performance where a back went over 100 yards rushing, but there were only three games where the team went over 100 rushing yards.
A.J. Cann wants to change that. The former Jacksonville Jaguars guard knows that churning yards in the NFL is difficult, but his expectations are lofty.
“You know, that’s hard to call right now but of course we want to pop a hundred every single game,” Cann told reporters after the sixth day of training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center Saturday.
Cann isn’t naive, not with 95 games played for the Jaguars from 2015-21. The former 2015 third-round pick from South Carolina is well aware that teams can focus their resources to take away a run game.
“That’s what we looking to do as an offensive line, as an offense, as a team, of course we want to go over a hundred every game but these are the teams that are going to be trying to watch film and compete with us as much as we compete with them,” said Cann. “That’s a challenge and that’s what we want to get. It’s a tough league but trust me we want to pop a hundred every game.”
Burkhead had Houston’s only 100-yard rushing game for a back in 2021 in a 41-29 Week 16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The Texans appeared to have a strong run game to start the season as they compiled 160 in the 37-22 win over the Jaguars at NRG Stadium. The Texans also had a 100-yard game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6 with a 31-3 loss at Lucas Oil Stadium.