One week after dropping 37 points on the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Houston Texans once again eclipsed the 30-point mark. In a dominant all-around performance, the Houston Texans handily defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6.
With the win, the Texans improve to 2-2 on the young season and are showing glimpses of a team that fans hope can replicate what Jacksonville did last season; go from worst to first.
The Texans looked dominant from start to finish, turning in their most complete performance of the campaign thus far. With so many positive takeaways from this game, here are three that stood out from the rest.
Nico Collins rebounds in epic fashion.
Nico Collins did not have the easiest time against a stingy Jaguars secondary, but he had his way against the Steel Curtain. With rookie signal caller C.J. Stroud slicing and dicing, Collins served as a primary beneficiary.
The 24-year-old stepped up as a big-time playmaker and was the catalyst for the Houston Texans offense. Collins finished with seven receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns for the game.
NICO COLLINS IS JUST LIKE THAT pic.twitter.com/biTd2NYRKg
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 1, 2023
The breakout continues for the third-year receiver, emerging as a legitimate threat on the perimeter. At this current pace, Collins is set to easily smash his career highs in receptions (37), receiving yards (481), and touchdowns (2).
Signs of improvement from Dameon Pierce?
One of the primary issues surrounding the Houston Texans' offense has been the absence of the run game. A large part of that was due to the slow start of young tailback Dameon Pierce.
When was he going to put it all together? There’s got to be a rebound on the horizon right? Against Pittsburgh, Pierce appeared to be back on track.
The sophomore rusher eclipsed season highs against a stingy Steelers defensive front. The efficiency still wasn’t where most wanted it to be, averaging 3.4 yards per carry, but Pierce was able to muster 84 yards on the ground.
Put the ball in Dameon Pierce’s hands
— Nick Schwager (@NickSchwagerNFL) October 1, 2023
pic.twitter.com/cCRFcRaYQ5
In a game where Stroud was not the most accurate, Pierce and the Texans' rushing attack helped ease the flow of the offense. The team’s 139 total rushing yards is the highest mark for the 2023-2024 season.
With a rookie signal caller who is continuing to outperform expectations, having the rushing attack in peak form can do wonders for this Texans offense. Dameon Pierce is at the forefront of that and made positive strides against a tough defense.
Jonathan Greenard paces the Texans' edge rush
One of the more underrated facets of this Texans' victory was their solid performance in the pass rush. Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard was a big part of that today.
The 26-year-old’s two sacks on the day were more than he had all of last season, and his three tackles for loss were a massive boon to a complete defensive performance.
This contest was very reminiscent of the 2021 season for Greenard, where he finished with eight sacks, two forced fumbles, and nine tackles for loss in 12 appearances.
With that in mind, this kind of production is not new for him, but injury troubles severely hampered his 2022 campaign. With a clean bill of health to start the season, Greenard has picked up right where he left off.
Greenard showed everybody today just how important he is to the success of the Texans defensive line. With head coach DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke focusing heavily on an aggressive front, Greenard will continue to be one of the more prominent players in the team’s edge rush rotation.