Houston Texans Coach DeMeco Ryans Reveals RB Strategy

The Houston Texans have a plan when it comes to the running back room.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 26, 2024

Aug 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans watches play against the New York Giants in the third quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

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Houston Texans

The Houston Texans upgraded their receiver room tremendously this past offseason, but the running game shouldn't be forgotten either.

The Texans traded for Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon and added veteran Cam Akers in free agency at the start of training camp. The two of them coupled with Dameon Pierce should form a strong backfield in Houston, and head coach DeMeco Ryans has a plan on how to utilize them.

"I think it will be week by week depending on who has the hot hand," Ryans said. "If the defense that week dictates that we throw the ball more, then we'll rely on throwing the football because we feel like we have a good core group there at receivers and tight end to be able to throw the ball around. When we need to run it, whenever it calls for that, I feel like Joe (Mixon) can do a great job of running the ball for us as well. I think weekly it will change depending on who we're facing and where we feel like our strengths are needed for that particular week.”

That's similar to how Ryans operated last year. He started the season out with Pierce, but when he got hurt, the Texans turned to Devin Singletary, who had the hot hand for nearly the entire season.

Singletary signed with the New York Giants in free agency, prompting the Texans to trade for Mixon.

The Texans are a high-octane offense, but having a ground game will always be important, and it appears they are confident in what they have there at the position.

Stick with TexansGameday for more FREE coverage of the Houston Texans throughout the offseason.

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Published Aug 26, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.