Carlos Hyde scored the Houston Texans’ lone touchdown of their 41-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, as if it mattered. His 41-yard touchdown scamper did not hide hyde the fact that the Texans’ otherwise great run-game struggled mightily in the embarrassing loss.
The Texans rushed the ball 22 times for 120 yards and a score against Baltimore. Without the touchdown, that goes to 79 yards on 21 carries, good for 3.8 yards per carry. That’s not going to cut it. As Hyde says, playing the Ravens is about controlling the tempo with the run.
Houston did not do that. The Ravens’ stout run game helped them win the time of possession battle 36:19 to 23:41.
“It was going to be about who could sustain drives, who can protect the ball, who can run the get their run game going,” said Hyde on Sunday. “We did not have a good run game. So, we have to do a better job.“
Hyde has been a pleasant surprise for the Texans in 2019, that sentiment did not change on Sunday. For the year, he has 769 yards and four touchdowns on 158 yards. Nevertheless, he isn’t here for stats. Houston is his home because he wants to win.
Hyde and Co. can rebound quickly; they face division rivals Indianapolis Colts on Thursday. With the important game — with playoff implications — on the horizon, there isn’t time to dwell on the loss and the lack of a run game.
“We have a short week,” said Hyde. “We have to put this game behind us and get ready for Indianapolis. We are all here playing to win.”
Last time Hyde faced the Colts, he had a game to forget. He rushed for 35 yards on 12 carries. Perhaps the fuel of losing added to his fire will get him over the hump to having a standout performance against the division rivals.