Texans RB Dameon Pierce Opens Up About Rushing Struggles: 'It's A Feel Thing'
Week 1 of the regular season was a chance for the Houston Texans to set the tone for their season.
It had been a long-anticipated matchup, with the hype around DeMeco Ryans' first season as coach stemming back to his hiring back in January. From there, key roster additions and later strong draft pickups only added to the excitement.
But when the time came to take the field against the Baltimore Ravens for the first game of the regular season, the Texans didn't deliver.
A lackluster offense told the story, as the Texans were unable to find the end-zone in all 60 minutes, but while that falls on both the passing and rushing fronts, the latter department was more concerning Sunday.
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Pierce and Singletary combined for just 53 yards, and while it's easy to credit the Ravens' defense, Pierce mentioned that Houston's offensive line injuries factored into his game as a running back.
"It's a feel thing," Pierce told TexansWire. "No matter what, it's the same base play, but guys are at different tempos, different speeds. You might have a rookie center with a veteran guard ... and as a runner, I've got to know 'Okay, these guys are different, so let me slow my step down.'"
Prior to Week 1, Houston second-year lineman Kenyon Green was placed on the Texans' injured reserve, ending his season and hurting a team that was already without Scott Quessenberry for the year.
Despite the injuries, however, Pierce has confidence in himself to adjust to the Texans' new-look offensive line.
"Once I get a few run plays, I'll feel them out," he said. "We're going to get it going regardless. It's a next-man-up mentality. As long as the intent is there, we should be good."
While that wasn't exactly the case against the Ravens, Pierce did only register 11 carries on the game — leaving things open for next week, should he gain more touches and more experience.
"[When we're] playing from behind and playing behind the sticks, we can't run that ball," Pierce said. "That's just not a recipe to run the ball."
If things go right for Ryans in Week 2, Houston won't be doing either. And if that ends up being the case, it'll be in Pierce's hands to prove his statement right.
Pierce and the Houston Texans will take to their home field for the first time this season against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon, with both teams looking for their first win. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. CST.
