Texans Daily

Texans Missed Run Game Against Vikings

The Houston Texans didn't establish the run against the Minnesota Vikings.

Jeremy Brener

Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Houston Texans running back Cam Akers (22) runs for a touchdown as Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) attempts to make the tackle during the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Houston Texans running back Cam Akers (22) runs for a touchdown as Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) attempts to make the tackle during the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
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The Houston Texans are heading back to the drawing board after losing 34-7 against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3.

The lone touchdown came from running back Cam Akers on a pass from C.J. Stroud, but the team was unable to get much going on the ground.

The Texans ran for just 38 yards compared to 118 from the Vikings, which showed a major difference between the two teams. The Texans trailed for most of the game, so that statistic isn't surprising, but it shows how important it is to run the football.

"Over the last two weeks, the Texans have scored just two touchdowns, rushing for 113 yards in that span," Bleacher Report writes. "The Texans cannot simply rely on C.J. Stroud to lead them to victory every week. Whether it's Mixon or Akers, Houston must get the ground attack on track to take some of the burden off its rising star quarterback. Stroud has the potential to be an MVP-caliber player, but against stingier defenses, even he needs help from a balanced offense."

READ MORE: Texans Eye Quick Turnaround After Vikings Game

If the Texans had Joe Mixon or Dameon Pierce, maybe things shake out a little different. However, the Texans dug themselves too deep into a hole, and that meant abandoning the run game.

Next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Texans have to get back to their roots with the ground-and-pound style of play that they had at the beginning of the season.

READ MORE: Turnovers, Penalties Lead to Texans Blowout Loss

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

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Jeremy Brener

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.

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