Texans' DeMeco Ryans Praises Rookie Star After Win vs. Titans

The Houston Texans finally got over the hump for their first win of the 2025 season in Week 4 vs. the Tennessee Titans, dominating their way to a 26-0 shutout victory and rising to a 1-3 record through the initial quarter of the year.

And in the process of the Texans' divisional win, no one on the offensive side of the ball may have had a better performance than fourth-round rookie running back Woody Marks.

In a true breakout performance, Marks led the way with 17 carries in the Texans' backfield to finish with 69 yards on the ground, had four catches for 50 yards, and had two touchdowns to cap off an electric day to pair with a much-needed Houston win.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans made sure to praise his rookie runner following the events of Week 4's win, highlighting his all-around effort as a playmaker that helped the Houston offense finally get on track.

"Offensively, we did a really nice job. You see Woody [Marks], young player, rookie, steps in, and ran the ball really well for us," Ryans said during his postgame press conference. "Caught it well, made plays; productive. Got in the endzone a couple of times. So, really proud of the way that he played as well. Just overall, collectively, it was a really good job."

THERE'S A SNAKE IN HIS BOOT!!!

📺 | @nfloncbs / @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/bpTKPTrmYm
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 28, 2025

In all, the Texans wound up running the ball better than we've seen all season. Between Marks and Nick Chubb, Houston had 30 carries for 116 yards, their highest rushing yards total on the season.

For Ryans, that power in the run game was ultimately what helped the Texans sustain drives and ease the waters offensively to score their highest point total since Week 12 of last season.

"We ran the ball well, and that allowed us to continue to sustain drives," said Ryans. "We haven't sustained drives in our previous games. We're able to win the time of possession battle, and that starts with the running game. When you're able to be productive in the run game, backs making some nice plays, Chubb and Woody, both guys had really nice runs, o-line did a really nice job... that allowed us to just stay on the field and stay after it."

Sep 28, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) runs with the ball and scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

If the Texans can continue to run the ball like they did in Week 4, this offense may have just turned a new leaf after a brutal three-week stretch.

And at the core of that explosiveness on the ground is the first-year runner in Marks, who proved that he's more than deserving of an expanded opportunity in the game plan for Week 5, and could have just opened the door to inevitably become a key piece of this scoring unit in no time.

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