The Houston Texans have got to lean on their running game to win

With the Houston Texans coming into the Tennessee Titans game 7-6 and in need of a win to stay in the AFC Playoff race, the team was hoping to have all hands on deck. That meant guys like C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins, Will Anderson Jr., and Blake Cashman. As of right now, all four men are expected to miss this Sunday's game, and that leaves the Texans in a deep hole.

Already out a few guys, like rookie receiver Tank Dell, the Texans needed their four best healthy players to be ready to go on Sunday. Instead, the whole team is now in a lurch with their future up in the air. The offense is compromised, the defense is vulnerable, and what looked like two easy wins against the Titans just 10 days ago, may be two of the more daunting wins the team tries to secure.

If they're without their best players, it's hard to imagine the Texans win by throwing the ball. No, they're best bet is to run Devin Singletary until he can't run anymore. While the trend of the league is to over-favor quarterbacks, the fact remains that plenty of teams still win with a rushing game. Something the Texans will need to lean on this Sunday.

Leaning on the rushing game will allow the Texans offense some stability. If we all know that Singletary is getting a bulk of the rushes, then the offense can build from there. Add some play-action passes, maybe some more draws than normal, and then throw in Dameon Pierce for some screens and maybe, just maybe you'll have an effective enough offense to win.

Running the ball more also allows better clock management, which in turn should help the defense in theory. If the offense is able to put together seven or eight-minute drives that burn the game clock, that means the defense won't be on the field for as long and won't be as likely to give up big plays.

Lastly, when you run the ball, you severely limit the amount of turnovers your team may cause. There are more interceptions by a quarterback every season it seems than there are fumbles by a running back. The likelihood that you turn the ball over on the ground, as opposed to in the air, just isn't going to be that high.

Running the ball more against the Titans is the Texans best shot at winning the game.