The Texans have one more preseason game to correct what’s been a glaring weakness before they kick off regular season Sept. 10 at Baltimore.
The Texans’ inability to run the ball and stop the run has contributed significantly to their inability to win only 11 games over the last three seasons, including a 3-13-1 record in 2022.
When DeMeco Ryans concludes his first preseason as their head coach at New Orleans on Sunday night, the Texans need to show substantial improvement in their running game and run defense.
The Texans haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2019 when Carlos Hyde reached that milestone. Dameon Pierce would have shattered that barrier as a rookie last season if an ankle injury hadn’t sidelined him for the last four games and left him 61 yards short and the Texans 31st in rushing. It’s safe to say if Pierce stays relatively healthy, he could be in the 1,200- to 1,300-yard range this season.
A running game that’s produced 89 yards on 30 carries and a 3-yard average in the 20-9 victory over the Patriots and 32 yards on 14 carries and a 2.2 average in the loss to Miami should improve substantially when regular season begins. Pierce and backup Devin Singletary should benefit from having their starting linemen once they play the Ravens on the road and the Colts at home.
It’s the run defense that’s the most troublesome. Since 2018, the Texans’ run defense has ranged from bad to horrendous. Opponents ripping off 170 yards a game like last season ain’t going to cut it for Ryans, who took a lot of pride stopping the run as a linebacker for 10 seasons and as an assistant coach with the 49ers for six seasons, including the last two at defensive coordinator.
In their victory at New England in the first preseason game, the Texans played outstanding run defense. That was mostly backups vs. backups. Still, it was a positive sign the Patriots finished with 25 carries for 78 yards and a 3.1 average. Subtract rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham’s 34 yards rushing on their last possession and the Texans surrendered 44 yards on 20 carries, a 2.2 average.
Fast forward to the Miami game with lots but not all starters on the field. The Dolphins ran 38 times for 205 yards. They averaged 5.4 yards a carry. Miami’s total included a 65-yard run by Salvon Ahmed, a backup. Take away that run, and the defense still allowed 140 yards and a 3.8 average.
“With the run defense overall, it's not representative of who we need to be,” Ryans said. “It all starts with the fundamentals. First, we have to set the edge. The ball got outside way too many times, and it comes down to tackling.
“The tackling was not good enough. If we want to be a good defense, we have to tackle, and that showed it wasn't good enough. That starts with me getting that corrected.”
Unless Ryans is going to put on pads for the first time since the 2015 season, there’s only so much he can do. If players don’t tackle well on a consistent basis, they won’t be on the team when the roster is reduced to 53 on Tuesday. Ryans, defensive coordinator Matt Burke and the position coaches know what the players need to do, but now it’s up to the players to actually do it.
“With the tackling (and) the run fits, it starts in walkthrough and being attentive to the details of your job,” Ryans said. “With the tackling, we have to put them (in practice) as close to a live tackling session as possible. Most of the time with tackling, it’s about taking the proper angle and putting your body exactly where it’s supposed to be, and that can improve. We’ll emphasize that and see where our guys can get better.”
They need to get better against the Saints because time is running out on preseason. The offseason program and training camp are over. One more practice game before they take on the Ravens, who are supposed to contend for the AFC North title and the Super Bowl.
“It’s a working process,” Ryans said. “You start over building a new team, making sure we implement our fundamentals (and) our techniques and how we coach things. There’s a process that goes along with that. It doesn’t happen overnight. We’re still (working) on that process. One thing about coaching is you’ve got to love the process, and I love it. I love seeing guys from step one, seeing them improve – that’s the beauty of coaching. That’s why I thrive.”
The poor performance against the run allowed Miami to control the ball for 38:42. With the Texans getting the ball for only 21:18, it meant they had fewer opportunities to see players they wanted to see, beginning with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
To avoid a repeat performance against the Saints, the third down defense has to improve. The Dolphins converted 60 percent (9-of-15). By comparison, the Texans’ offense converted only 16.7 percent (2-of-12).
“Where we struggled as a team is situational football,” Ryans said. “If you want to win games, defensively you have to get off the field on third down. We didn't. Offensively, you've got to convert on third down. We didn't. When you do that, you stall out drives, and the offense can't continue to make plays, and that hurts us. It always comes back to situational football. (If) you don't own those situations, you're going to lose games.”
Losing is something the Texans have consistently experienced over the last three seasons. That’s why Ryans is here. He’s not going to be a miracle-worker, but it’s not too much for fans to expect to see some improvement in problem areas that have plagued them like running and stopping the run.
With Pierce and Singletary, the running game could be the strength of the offense. As for stopping the run, well, it’s a process, right? Stay tuned!
(John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on Sports Radio 610 and before every practice during training camp on Texans Radio. He also writes three columns a week and does two Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.)
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