This wasn’t the script for Dameon Pierce.
Last year, as a fourth-round pick from Florida, the running back was a bright spot for an underperforming Houston Texans team. He ran for 939 yards and four touchdowns on 4.3 yards per carry while briefly flirting with the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in what was almost a 1,000-yard campaign prior to injuries. By all accounts, it appeared that Pierce would be Houston’s running back of the future.
The expectations only grew when Houston hired coach DeMeco Ryans, who brought with him offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and the San Francisco “Shanahan” West Coast scheme. It was an offense that had been extremely friendly to running backs for the San Francisco 49ers and had seen Christian McCaffrey explode for some of the most productive games of his career in 2022.
Throughout training camp the coaching staff was extremely complimentary of Pierce, with Slowik himself even believing in July that, “For us to be a good offense, we have to have Dameon at his A-game.” There was no shortage of belief.
Amongst NFL running backs with atleast 100 carries, Dameon Pierce ranks dead last in success rate at 22.6% and yards per carry at 2.9 ypc.
This is beyond a sophomore slump – there are legitimate questions over his value to the roster within Houston's scheme #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) December 12, 2023