Texans Rookies Review: Dameon Pierce & Co. Views of GM Nick Caserio Revealed
HOUSTON — After the Houston Texans recorded a Week 5 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, coach Lovie Smith gave the team an extra day off on Monday.
The Texans are entering a tough stretch of the 2022 campaign, where they will play three games in 11 days once returning from the bye week. But the day off was the result of Smith awarding his team after recording their first win of the season.
But while most players decided to take advantage of the extra day off, rookie running back Dameon Pierce opted for something different.
Pierce - who finished Sunday's game against the Jaguars rushing for 99 yards and a touchdown at TIAA Bank Field - was in the Texans weight room, squatting 425 pounds on his day off.
"People wonder why is he successful on the field," general manager Nick Caserio said. "Well, he’s successful because he works hard, he’s got the right attitude. He’s a good teammate. He trusts the people around him. He gives credit to his teammates …
“He doesn’t make it about himself."
Pierce's attitude and work ethic exemplify the attributes that have made Caserio pleased with the Texans' rookie class. He believes the mindset and work they have put in early have resulted in varying levels of on-field production.
Pierce has been a spark to Houston's otherwise-modest offense. He has rushed for 412 yards, the most by a rookie in franchise history through the first five weeks of the season.
But while Pierce is quickly establishing himself as one of the top running backs in the league, Jalen Pitre and Derek Stingley Jr. are replicating the early success on the defensive side of the ball.
The rookie defensive backs have recorded a combined 69 tackles, three interceptions and two sacks through the first five games.
But as the season continues, Caserio understands that consistency could be a significant challenge for the rookie class moving forward.
"It’s really about repetitive behavior over the course of time," Caserio said. "Anybody can go out there and do it in a short period. But can you sustain that performance week after week, month after month and season after season?
"Ultimately your longevity is going to be based on that. We’ve gotten decent production out of that group, but I think the attitude and the mindset probably stands out more than anything."
And after being around Houston's freshmen class since May, Caserio believes the attitude and mindset of their rookies have created a blueprint for success for the franchise as a whole.
"Overall, they’ve had a good attitude, worked hard, including the guys that weren’t drafted, including the guys on the practice squad," Caserio said. "We’ll see if we can kind of continue that.”
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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