Houston Texans: Top 3 running backs of 2010s

2. Lamar Miller (2016-18)

Lamar Miller’s time with the Houston Texans came to a sudden stop in the 2019 NFL Preseason when he tore his ACL before he ever got to a chance to really start his fourth season on the field for the franchise. The aforementioned Carlos Hyde took over for Miller in the starting lineup, but we can’t forget the good moments that Miller accomplished in the backfield of the Texans.

Miller rushed for 1,000-plus yards during his first season with the Houston Texans in 2016, where he had 268 carries in the regular season for 1,073 yards with five touchdowns. That same season, he also caught 31 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown.

Miller followed the ’16 season with 888 yards and three touchdowns in 2017, then in 2018 the running back totaled 210 rushes for 973 yards with five touchdowns. In ’18, Miller averaged 4.6 yards per carry, which was his best average while a member of the Texans offense.

In his three seasons on the field with the Texans, Miller had at least one receiving score in each of those years, with a career-high three receptions for a touchdown in ’17, a season where Miller collected 46 receptions for 327 yards.

Eight times while with the Texans, Miller rushed for over 100 yards in a game, with four of those coming in 2016, and the final four coming in 2018. Miller’s top game with the Texans came on Nov. 26, 2018 at home against the Tennessee Titans, where the running back collected 162 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries, averaging 13.5 yards per rush.

The great thing about having Lamar Miller in the backfield was he was capable of making the play when needed, and though his overall numbers may not have been at the top of the NFL rushing charts, during his tenure with the Texans, Miller played well and did a solid job at running back.