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          Texans feel 'very close' to getting run game, Dameon Pierce on track

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          • DJ Bien-Aime, ESPNOct 11, 2023, 06:00 AM ET
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              DJ Bien-Aime covers the Houston Texans for ESPN. He joined ESPN in July of 2022 after covering the New York Jets. He's a former athlete who finished his college career at Louisville. You can catch DJ on ESPN Radio on his show, "Talkin' Texans."
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          HOUSTON -- Let's rewind to training camp. The central offensive theme from the Houston Texans coaching staff was the rushing attack.

          Under first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans, the goal was to lean on the rushing attack since they had a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud and a running back room featuring Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary.

          Pierce averaged 72 rushing yards per game last season (ranking eighth in the NFL) as a rookie, and Singletary averaged 787 yards per season from 2019 to 2022 with the Buffalo Bills.

          Ryans admitted that "for us to be a good offense, we have to have Dameon at his A-game" back in August.

          But through the first five weeks of the season, the rushing attack has been near the bottom of the class.

          Pierce is averaging 49.4 yards per game, and the Texans (2-3) rank 27th (out of 32) in rushing yards per game (82.6), and their 3.0 yards per carry is second worst.

          The Texans rushed for a season-high 139 yards in a 30-6 win in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Pierce running for season highs in carries (24) and yards (81), but followed that up with only 64 rushing yards Sunday in their 21-19 loss at the Atlanta Falcons.

          "It's all of us," Ryans said Monday of the rushing woes. "I feel like our guys, they did a great job of blocking yesterday in the run game, and we all know the margin for error is slim in this league. So those tight holes where there's one guy in the hole, we have to be able to make a guy miss. We have to force some missed tackles there, but I think the guys blocked well."

          One of the hurdles this season has been a lack of offensive line continuity because of injuries.

          Left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a knee injury in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens that caused him to miss three straight games. Right tackle Tytus Howard (broken hand) and center Juice Scruggs (hamstring) landed on injured reserve to start the season, while left guard Kenyon Green (left shoulder) and center Scott Quessenberry (torn ACL and MCL) were placed on the season-ending injured reserve list in August.

          Despite Ryans' optimism about the blocking, Pierce has the sixth-highest stuff rate (23.8%) and second-worst yards before contact average (-0.2), according to Next Gen Stats. Despite being hit behind the line of scrimmage, he's averaging 3.2 yards after contact, which ranks 14th.

          "This is our fourth O-line rotation we done had in four weeks," Pierce said heading into the Falcons' game. "It doesn't matter [who's out there]. We got to find a way to get positive yards on every run."

          In Week 5, Tunsil and Howard returned from injury, and the Texans are hopeful to get Scruggs back soon now that he's eligible to start practicing.

          "Continuity will help," Ryans said, "but I definitely feel like our run blocking has been there and guys have done a much better job throughout the past couple of weeks of finishing – no matter who’s in there.

          "We're very close in the run game. We'll stay after it. It's where we want to be. We know we can get better there, and we will show improvement there."

          There's also been an adjustment for Pierce under first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik -- particular in the pass game. Pierce already has just over half as many receiving yards (84) as he did all of last season.

          "We got pretty confident pretty fast that he could [help in the pass game], and then, as always, once you get into the regular season, you've got to keep rebuilding, and then keep growing," Slowik said. "He's done that in both phases -- in the run game and the pass game."

          Before the season, Pierce established his goal of rushing for 1,000 yards, which he fell short of by 61 yards in his rookie year after playing just 13 games because of injury.

          "Everybody around me expects that," Pierce said before the season, "and I'm gonna try everything in my power to get that."

          But things don't get easier for the Texans with the New Orleans Saints coming to town for Sunday's game (1 p.m. ET, NRG Stadium, Fox). The Saints (3-2) allow the eighth-fewest rushing yards per game (91.6) and the fourth fewest total yards (274.6). They also are allowing the fourth-fewest points per game (15.2).

          "We just have to stay after it," Ryans said. "I’m encouraged with what we did up front [Sunday] from a run blocking standpoint and also in pass protections. Really proud of what the [offensive] line is doing for us. We just have to make explosive [plays] when we can – when it’s there. It may be slim, but we have to make them pay."