Fans will be the first to admit that the Houston Texans needed an upgrade at running back this offseason. Even if they loved Devin Singletary and Dameon Pierce, those from the outside knew that duo wouldn’t cut it to win a Super Bowl.
The Texans often relied on Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud to play hero ball when the ground game became ineffective. Houston ranked 28th overall in rushing and mustered up just 10 rushing touchdowns en route to a division title.
Outside of Singletary, no one averaged over 2.9 yards per attempt. Stroud and fullback Andrew Beck were responsible for half of Houston’s rushing scores as well.
The hope is new running back Joe Mixon will provide stability on the ground as the Texans look to build off a 10-7 record while competing for an AFC title. Pro Football Focus, however, isn’t much higher on Houston’s new ground-and-pound attack, ranking it 23rd entering July.
The Texans will implement a three-pronged punch of Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale in 2024.
Mixon will likely take the early-down work as a still-reliable running back, although his overall production has been more volume-based than efficiency-based.
Pierce can handle the reserve and short-yardage situations, and Ogunbowale is a solid third-down back. It’s a solid rotation, but one that seems to have a limited ceiling.
Based on leading rushers, Mixon should be considered an upgrade. A Pro Bowler back in 2021, the former second-round pick out of Oklahoma posted four 1,000-yard campaigns during his time in Cincinnati, including last season where he averaged 4.4 yards per attempt.
He’s also improved as a pass-catching threat on second and third down. With Joe Burrow missing the second half of last season, backup quarterback Jake Browning relied heavily on the dump passes, leading to Mixon finishing with over 50 catches and nearly 400 receiving yards.
Outside of him, there are reasons for skepticism. Pierce, who nearly eclipsed 1,000 yards during his rookie season under Pep Hamilton’s gap-style approach, never found a rhythm in Bobby Slowik’s offensive design. Ogunbowale has the potential to be a decent runner in spurts, but he’s better used as a situational option on specific downs.
It’s a fair assessment going into the year. Teams like Cincinnati, New York, and Las Vegas, who all lost 1,000-yard runners this offseason, were ranked below Houston, so at least there’s a conciseness to the rankings.
Mixon, Pierce, Ogunbowale, and the rest of the Texans return for the start of training camp at NRG Stadium on July 18.