2. The nonexistent rushing game returned
Running backs for the Houston Texans have either been hit or miss this season, and on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, they were a miss as Carlos Hyde rushed 12 times for 35 yards (2.9 yards per carry average), while Duke Johnson totaled seven carries for 34 yards (4.9 ypc).
There were also the rushing yards from quarterback Deshaun Watson (3-32-0), but this is about the running backs. For all they did last Sunday when they were a huge part of the successful offense, this weekend they were basically nonexistent in rushing the football. Neither running back had a rushing score, and with Hyde at 2.9 ypc, that won’t win football games no matter who or how great the quarterback on the team is.
This is said a lot on these pages, but for the Texans to win games and to take control of games, the Texans need to run the football more, and Hyde needs to never have fewer than 20 carries in a game. Hyde had 20-plus carries in each of the two previous games, and the Texans won both of those games.
On Oct. 6 against the Atlanta Falcons, Hyde had 21 carries for 60 yards and one touchdown. Yes, Hyde averaged 2.9 yards per carry in that game, but he battled hard all game long and scored points. The following game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Hyde had 26 carries for 116 yards and one touchdown. That game, he averaged 4.5 yards per carry.
For the entire season, Hyde has only had 20 or more carries in a game three times, and each time the Texans have run the ball with him at least 20 times they have won that game. The only other time was in Week 2 when Hyde rushed for 90 yards on 20 carries, a 4.5 yards per carry average.
All in all, the Texans do themselves a disservice when they don’t hand Hyde the ball in the 20s each game, and maybe they will figure out a happy medium, because Hyde needs the ball more each week.