At one point this season it seemed that the Houston Texans were fully committed to bringing back the old-school ground-and-pound offensive game that would seek to bruise defenses in the running game instead of relying on their inefficient quarterbacks to move the ball upfield. Now, after taking nine losses in 11 games, the team seems to have reversed course, giving rookie phenom Dameon Pierce just 15 carries in their last two matchups combined.
This is a clear move away from the running game, which had served them well over the early part of the season, and head coach Lovie Smith was asked about what spurred the change in the team’s Wednesday press conference. Though he didn’t blame Pierce, Smith made it clear that the production on the ground just hadn’t inspired his staff to force the issue on the ground offensively.
