Tag: Dameon Pierce

Is Joe Mixon playing today? Injury updates for Texans RB

#Texans running back Joe Mixon is dealing with an ankle injury. Here are the latest updates. 

Running back Joe Mixon is an integral part of the Houston Texans offense and will provide some much-needed dynamism for the AFC South champions when they face the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, if he is able to play.

The Pro-Bowler was listed on Houston’s injury reports this week, and may not be able to take the field against Kansas City.

Here are the latest updates on Mixon’s condition:

Joe Mixon injury update

Though Mixon was a full participant in the Texans’ practice session on Tuesday, he was downgraded to limited participation in drills on Wednesday before sitting out on Thursday.

He is officially listed with an ankle injury, which seems to have been sustained at some point between Monday and Tuesday.

How long will Joe Mixon be out?

It is unclear if Mixon will play on Saturday. Heading into Houston’s matchup against Kansas City, he was officially given a game status designation of questionable.

Texans RB depth chart

Running backs Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale are experienced playmakers who can capably fill in for Mixon if needed.

Texans Wire Player of the Game: RB Dameon Pierce

Dameon Pierce’s career day has him as Texans Wire’s Week 18 Player of the Game.

No amount of wind, rain, or tackling from the Tennessee Titans was going to stop Dameon Pierce from reaching the end zone and the Houston Texans‘ history books on Sunday.

DeMeco Ryans knew he was set for a career afternoon right after he passed the second level of the Titans’ defense.

“To have over 170 yards rushing and the long run, it was really good to see him be productive and make plays for us in the running game,” Ryans said postgame of Pierce’s performance as the Texans secured a 23-14 win over Tennessee at Nissan Stadium.

Sunday’s performance wasn’t billed to be one where Pierce would see ample action. Throughout the week, Ryans said starters would play and did not give an estimated length.

Joe Mixon, the Texans’ top runner, was seven yards shy of becoming the sixth player in franchise history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and the first since 2019.

That goal was accomplished on two plays for 11 yards on the opening drive. After that Pierce took over alongside quarterback Davis Mills.

He didn’t waste his opportunity, scoring a 92-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give Houston a 13-point lead.

“If you done had as many whoopings as I had growing up, you know that when they’re on your tail, that’s when you need to run your fastest,” Pierce told reporters. “It doesn’t matter how you cross that goal line as long as you get there, right?”

The run marked the second-longest run in Texans’ history, trailing only Lamar Miller’s 97-yard TD run against the Titans in November 2018. Pierce finished with nine first-down runs and a career-high 176 rushing yards before the clock struck zero.

No one was happier for Pierce’s performance than Mixon, who sprinted down the sidelines as the third-year runner crossed the goal line for his first score since Week 6.

“That boy was cutting up today,” Mixon said of Pierce. “He’s fought through a lot of adversity, and it was just good for the team to see him thrive. To me, as one of the big brothers in the room, it was great. My boy put on a show.”

For his efforts in Week 18, Pierce is the final recipient of Texans Wire’s Player of the Game.

WATCH: Texans RB Dameon Pierce scores franchise’s 2nd longest TD run

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce went 92 yards to the end zone, which is the second longest touchdown run in franchise history.

Who knew Dameon Pierce had burners like that?

The Houston Texans third-year running back went virtually untouched on his way to a 92-yard touchdown run to put Houston up two scores against the Tennessee Titans.

Pierce now owns two of the four longest touchdown runs in Texans franchise history. His 75-yard score as a rookie ranks fourth while his 92-yard run is behind only Lamar Miller, who scored from 97 yards out in 2018.

With one run, Pierce nearly doubled his 2024 season total of 117 yards.

The Texans backup running back saw his greatly diminished with the arrival of Joe Mixon, who rushed for 1,000 yards this season.

Pierce also battled injuries throughout the 2024 season, missing six games. Entering Sunday he had 21 carries for 117 yards and one touchdown. Pierce now has two carries of 50 yards or more this season.

While Pierce has not been able to capture the same magic as a rookie out of the backfield, he has been one of the league’s best kick returners.

With eight kick returns, Pierce has averaged 38.13 yards per return.

Will Dameon Pierce play today? Latest injury updates for Texans RB

Will Dameon Pierce be in the Houston Texans’ backfield for Week 9’s matchup against the New York Jets?

With the Houston Texans on a short week, current injured players might be out again if not fully cleared.

That seems to be the case for third-year running back Dameon Pierce, who has been limited since his breakout game in Week 6 on the road against the New England Patriots.

Will Pierce suit up on “Thursday Night Football” when the Texans take on the New York Jets? Here’s what happened and his current status entering Thursday morning.

Dameon Pierce injury update

While Pierce played in Sunday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts, he was limited to just one carry for four yards. Against the Green Bay Packers in Week 7, only rushed for four yards on two attempts.

The Texans ruled Pierce out with a groin issue during this week’s practice. He will not play in Thursday’s game against the AFC East franchise, meaning it’ll be more of the Joe Mixon show. 

This is the second time this season that Pierce has dealt with a lingering lower-body issue. After Week 1’s road win over the Colts, the former Texans’ starter missed four games with a hamstring injury before returning against New England.

How long will Dameon Pierce be out?

Lower body injuries are tough to determine since it’s all based on the movement of the body. Pierce could return next Sunday against the Detroit Lions if he’s healthy entering Monday’s practice.

He also could find himself on the injured reserve if the issue worsens, thus leading to him missing at least the next four games.

Dameon Pierce stats

Pierce has flashed the potential to be a decent No. 2 option behind Mixon this season. In four games he’s rushed for 98 yards, though 54 came on a touchdown run in the fourth quarter against New England.

Pierce is averaging 7.0 yards per attempt on 14 carries.

Texans RB depth chart

With Pierce out, Mixon likely will see at least 90% of reps. Last week, the Texans totaled 29 rushing plays, with Mixon recording 25 carries. He’s been the offensive backbone since returning from injury in Week 6.

Houston also recently elevated running back J.J. Taylor to the active roster in place of Stefon Diggs, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Sunday’s win over the Colts.  Here’s the rest of the running backs on the active roster:

  • Joe Mixon
  • Dare Ogunbowale
  • J.J. Taylor

Ogunbowale is often the change-of-pace back on third down and should see action in the passing game. He helped Houston secure a 24-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4 with his 1-yard touchdown reception with 18 seconds remaining.

Kickoff from MetLife Stadium is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT.

Texans RB Dameon Pierce finally breaks out in win vs. Patriots

Dameon Pierce looked like his rookie form while high-tailing it to the end zone in Sunday’s win over the New England Patriots.

Joe Mixon’s performance against the New England Patriots wasn’t the only prominent running back making headlines for the Houston Texans Sunday afternoon.

Dameon Pierce showed off that same spark that made him a fan-favorite during his rookie season as Houston picked up the 41-21 win over the New England Patriots. After missing four games due to a hamstring injury, Pierce seemed to kick it into a new gear.

Pierce, a third-year runner from Florida, rushed for 76 yards and scored on a 54-yard touchdown run to put the game out of reach. On eight carries, he averaged 9.5 yards per attempt.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway was Pierce’s explosiveness, something that had been missing since setting the tone during his rookie season. According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats,  Pierce reached 20.72 mph at top speed on his 54-yard score.

The touchdown run marked the second-longest attempt of his career, only to be a 75-yard touchdown run over the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022.

“Dameon made the most of his opportunities and there you go, he has a big explosive run for a touchdown, one of the best runs we’ve seen him have since we’ve been here,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said postgame.

Entering Week 6, Houston ranked 23rd in rushing behind performances from Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale. Mixon, who finished with 132 total yards and two touchdowns, was out for three games with an ankle injury.

After Sunday’s performance, the Texans rank 13th in rushing, averaging 118.8 yards per game and 4.5 yards per run. They averaged 6.9 yards per attempt in Sunday’s win and totaled five rushing first downs.

As for Pierce, the sophomore slump could be a thing of the past. While he finished with 416 rushing yards, his contact total dropped from 4.3 as a rookie to 2.9.

Through two games, Pierce is averaging 8.4 yards per attempt. Even if you were to take out the 54-yard score, he’d still be averaging just around 4.0 yards per run.

The Texans travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers next Sunday at noon CT.

Texans receive postive update on RB Dameon Pierce

Dameon Pierce might be back on the field for the Houston Texans for the first time since Week 1 this weekend.

The Houston Texans could be getting a piece of their ground game back in time for Sunday’s matchup against the New England Patriots.

Running back Dameon Pierce was a limited participant at practice Wednesday afternoon. This has been the first time in three weeks that Pierce has taken part in contact drills after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 1’s win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said that barring a setback, Pierce will play at Gillette Stadium when the Texans take on the 1-4 Patriots.

Pierce, who missed the previous four games, returned to practice last Friday but later was ruled out before Sunday’s inactive list was released to the public. He’s expected to be the No. 2 runner behind Pro Bowler Joe Mixon, but both have been sidelined for the past three weeks with lower-body extremities.

Pierce could potentially move into a vital role in Houston’s backfield this weekend if Mixon is unavailable versus the Patriots, though he also could split reps with Dare Ogunbowale and Cam Akers. After losing starting reps last season to Devin Singletary, Pierce has been limited on the ground.

In Week 1’s win over the Colts, Pierce finished with 16 yards off three carries. The Texans still believe there’s hope he can be an essential part of the offensive game plan.

Kickoff for Week 6 is scheduled for noon CT.

Report: Texans RB Dameon Pierce’s Week 5 status revealed

Dameon Pierce won’t suit up on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills despite returning to practice Friday afternoon.

Despite returning to practice for the first time in three weeks, Dameon Pierce will wait at least until Week 6 before taking the field.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pierce will miss his fourth consecutive game Sunday against the Buffalo Bills due to a hamstring injury. Pierce was always going to be a game-time decision after being limited on Friday.

Pierce hasn’t played since Week 1 after totaling nine offensive snaps and carried three times for 16 yards against Indianapolis. His return would have been beneficial since Joe Mixon has been ruled out for a third straight week due to an ankle injury.

Cam Akers will likely lead Houston’s backfield for the third straight game, with Dare Ogunbowale serving as his primary backup. The Texans also elevated J.J. Taylor from the practice squad.

Houston’s inability to run the ball has hindered the offensive success over the last three games. In Sunday’s win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston averaged 3.9 yards between Akers, Taylor and Ogunbowale.

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs scored a touchdown on an 8-yard run in the first quarter.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.

Jaguars vs. Texans: Friday injury reports and game statuses

Jaguars vs. Texans: Friday injury reports and game statuses

The Jaguars and Texans have deemed a combined six players questionable and five players out of their Week 4, AFC South matchup in Houston.

Jacksonville will be without starting tight end Evan Engram for a third consecutive game, and starting linebacker Foyesade Oluokun for the first of what is expected to be several weeks.

Additionally, three starting Jaguars — wide receiver Gabe Davis, linebacker Devin Lloyd and safety Darnell Savage Jr. — enter the weekend questionable. So does Savage’s backup, Jarrian Jones.

Houston similarly won’t have a pair of starters available Sunday, wide receiver Tank Dell and safety Jimmie Ward. Starting running back Joe Mixon enters the game questionable while his backup, Dameon Pierce, is out.

However, star Texans receiver Nico Collins intends to play after joining the injury report on Thursday.

Find Jacksonville and Houston’s Friday injury reports and initial game statuses for Week 4 below.

* indicates status upgrade from the previous practice

Jaguars injury report

  • OL Cam Robinson (knee) — full*
  • OL Anton Harrison (knee) — full*
  • CB Montaric Brown (chest) — full*
  • RB Tank Bigsby (shoulder) — limited
  • WR Gabe Davis (shoulder) — limited
  • LB Devin Lloyd (knee) — limited*
  • CB Jarrian Jones (shoulder) — limited
  • S Darnell Savage Jr. (quadriceps) — limited
  • TE Evan Engram (hamstring) — did not participate
  • DL Arik Armstead (veteran rest) — did not participate
  • LB Foyesade Oluokun (foot) — did not participate

Jaguars game statuses

  • WR Gabe Davis: QUESTIONABLE
  • LB Devin Lloyd: QUESTIONABLE
  • CB Jarrian Jones: QUESTIONABLE
  • S Darnell Savage Jr.: QUESTIONABLE
  • TE Evan Engram: OUT
  • LB Foyesade Oluokun: OUT

Texans injury report

  • WR Nico Collins (hamstring) — full*
  • TE Dalton Schultz (ankle) — full
  • OL Kenyon Green (illness) — full
  • OL Jarrett Patterson (calf) — full
  • RB Joe Mixon (ankle) — limited*
  • DT Folorunso Fatukasi (shoulder) — limited
  • RB Dameon Pierce (hamstring) — did not participate
  • WR Tank Dell (chest) — did not participate
  • S Jimmie Ward (groin) — did not participate

Texans game statuses

  • RB Joe Mixon: QUESTIONABLE
  • DT Folorunso Fatukasi: QUESTIONABLE
  • RB Dameon Pierce: OUT
  • WR Tank Dell: OUT
  • S Jimmie Ward: OUT

Texans RB Dameon Pierce expected to return vs. Jaguars

According to reports, Dameon Pierce should be back in the huddle for the Houston Texans this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

While the Houston Texans could be without running back Joe Mixon for another week, they could have one name coming off the injured list.

According to KPRC 2 Sports’ Aaron Wilson, Dameon Pierce is expected to resume activities and play in Sunday’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The third-year running back has been dealing with a hamstring issue and hasn’t played since Week 1.

In Week 3’s 34-7 loss against the Minnesota Vikings, Houston turned to former second-round pick Cam Akers as the lead back. Despite finding the end zone on a 6-yard pass from C.J. Stroud, Akers averaged 2.9 yards per attempt on nine carries.

https://twitter.com/NickSchwagerNFL/status/1838990448968220766

The Texans could make him the feature back against the winless Jags, but having Pierce would elevate the run game and take pressure off Stroud to win vertically.

Mixon, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 2’s win over the Bears, didn’t practice last week. The 2021 Pro Bowler didn’t make the trip to Minneapolis and could be held out until Week 5’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

“We will see where those guys are as the week goes on,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said of Pierce and Mixon’s status.

Houston hasn’t been able to duplicate its Week 1 success on the ground without Mixon. Over the past two games, the Texans have averaged less than 3.1 yards. They’ve yet to find the end zone on the ground, too.

Kickoff in the second divisional game of the season is scheduled for noon CT.

Texans inactive list: RB Dameon Pierce, WR John Metchie III out vs. Bears

Here’s who is in and who is out for the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football.

The Houston Texans will be without two key pieces on offense.

Offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, wide receiver John Metchie III and running back Dameon Pierce are inactive for Sunday night’s home opener against the Chicago Bears.

Pierce, who totaled three carries for 16 yards in last week’s win over the Colts, was dealing with a hamstring injury. Cam Akers will serve as the No. 2 runner in his place.

Scruggs, who had been dealing with a groin injury, was ruled out Sunday morning. Jarrett Patterson will start in his place.

Other inactive players for Houston include linebacker Jamal Hill, defensive back M.J. Stewart and linebacker Rashad Weaver.

For Chicago, there’s good and bad news on offense. Rookie receiver Rome Odunze, who suffered a Grade 1 MCL sprain, is officially active after being questionable.

Meanwhile, receiver Keenan Allen, who’s been dealing with a heel injury, is officially inactive. He was listed as doubtful earlier Sunday morning.

Other inactive players for the Bears include receiver Velus Jones Jr., offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie, linebacker Noah Sewell, fullback Khari Blasingame and defensive lineman Dominique Robinson.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.