Texans Pep Hamilton Describes 'Power and Speed' of Rookie RB Dameon Pierce
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HOUSTON — Rookie running back Dameon Pierce had a breakout performance during the Houston Texans' 34-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at NRG Stadium.
He provided the Texans with a much-needed spark on the offensive side of the ball, where he rushed for a career-best 131 yards on 14 carries.
The highlight of the game came at the 9:48 mark of the second quarter when Pierce ran for a 75-yard touchdown — the longest of his young career.
Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said he always knew Pierce possessed the breakaway speed to record a 75-yard run. But since the start of the 2022 season, Hamilton continues to notice new attributes that have made Pierce an intriguing rookie prospect.
"The combination of power and speed," Hamilton said. "A lot of times our backs, or backs in general, break out into the open field and low-and-behold, you have defensive backs that chase down and have a better angle of pursuit.
"Now, it’s just a long gain and not a long touchdown. I think we saw really good acceleration. We’ve seen the power throughout our games up until this point. Dameon is an explosive playmaker."
Pierce's performance in a loss against the Chargers was a redemption game after a subpar day at Soldier Field stadium.
He rushed for a then career-best 80 yards on 20 attempts and scored his first NFL touchdown amid the Texans' 23-20 loss to the Chicago Bears. But Pierce will remember the Week 3 contest for a more somber reason.
He committed his second fumble of the game late in the fourth quarter. Offensive lineman Tytus Howard recovered the ball to prevent a turnover. But coach Lovie Smith pulled Pierce in favor of Rex Burkhead for the final 10 plays of the game.
But despite his performance against the Chargers, the Texans substituted Pierce for Burkhead late in the fourth quarter for the fourth consecutive game.
According to Hamilton, a combination of experience and trust has prevented Pierce from playing in high-leverage situations early in his career.
Entering the Texans' Week 5 match against the 2-2 Jacksonville Jaguars, Pierce is currently 10th in the NFL in rushing after recording 313 yards through the first four games of the season.
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