Texans Dameon Pierce: Best Rookie RB in Franchise History?
Five weeks of football tends to bring out the best overreactions in us.
But when it comes to Houston Texans rookie running back Dameon Pierce - who has a case for being the best rookie ball carrier in franchise history - one could argue that some of these overreactions are justified, even if Houston coach Lovie Smith might deem it a bit early.
The numbers certainly favor Pierce, a fourth-round pick out of Florida in April. With 412 rushing yards through five games following a 13-6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Pierce is not only fifth in the NFL in rushing, but he’s also tops amongst all running backs in Texans history through their first five games.
Right behind him? Ben Tate (362 yards) and Steve Slaton (343). Their time with the team ended in 2013 and 2011, respectively.
Even Texans all-time great Arian Foster, the franchise’s current runaway leader with 6,472 rushing yards, didn’t eclipse the 300-yard mark in his first season with the team.
Of course, one could make the argument that Pierce doesn’t have much competition to stack up against. After all, the Texans are only in their 21st season of existence this year after emerging as an expansion franchise in 2002.
But few expected a rookie - let alone one selected in the fourth round from a team projected to be one of the league’s worst this season - to suddenly emerge as one of the leaders in rushing yards five games in.
As for Texans history, Tate finished 942 yards his rookie season while Slaton finished with an impressive 1,282 yards in 16 games.
Pierce has the advantage with an extra regular-season game, though it’ll prove tough to catch Slaton. But considering he was limited to just 11 carries for 33 yards in the opener and has taken over workhorse duties since then, there’s no telling what kind of numbers Pierce could reach for both Texans lore and rookie rushing records.
Houston will visit the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Week 7. Kickoff is set for 3:05 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 23.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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