Houston Texans: 5 Takeaways from loss vs. New Orleans Saints

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 09: Carlos Hyde #23 of the Houston Texans is tackled by Cameron Jordan #94 of the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes Benz Superdome on September 09, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

2. Running back by committee works

When running back Lamar Miller went down with a torn ACL in the third week of the NFL preseason, a lot of hope was lost for the Texans’ rushing backfield, as he is a solid pro running back who rushes for nearly 1,000 yards each season.

Now the Texans are using a running back by committee, and after Week 1, it wasn’t such a bad thing for the offense. Carlos Hyde carried the ball 10 times for 83 yards, averaging 8.3 yards per carry. Duke Johnson had nine carries for 57 yards (a 6.3 yard per carry average), and even quarterback Deshaun Watson joined in with four rushes for 40 yards.

This time, there had to be credit to the offense line for their play with the Texans rushing for 180 yards between those three players. They don’t get those numbers without the play in front of them making the rushing lanes.

Hyde and Johnson also caught some passes, with Johnson having four receptions for 33 yards on five targets and Hyde with one reception (on one target) for two yards. Hyde will be an asset for the Texans for his ability to catch passes, and in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, he showed his capabilities for what he can provide the offense.

It will be interesting to see if Hyde and Johnson can do even better in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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