The Texans backfield needs help from the offensive line to keep pressure off Stroud

The Houston Texans have made many roster improvements since March, mostly on the offensive side of the ball. One of their biggest acquisitions this offseason was Joe Mixon, whom they acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals. Houston tried to bring in as many veterans as possible to surround CJ Stroud with. That has proven to work with other teams, and the Texans are hoping they get the same results with their own. That means they will need to rely on the offensive line to help the run game alleviate pressure off of their young quarterback. Why?

As any other team would do, they prioritized the offensive line through the draft. With that, they’ll not only make sure their franchise quarterback is upright but also that they have a good run game to take pressure off of Stroud. Mixon is a proven back in the league, Dameon Pierce can be a good RB2, and Houston also just drafted Jawhar Jordan this year. They have a capable backfield to give Stroud some relief when he needs it, and with multiple passing options added to it, they will be a two-dimensional offense to force teams to game plan against everyone. 

With the addition of Blake Fisher to the offensive line, Houston has no holes to worry about. Both tackle positions are filled, along with center, and left guard. Tytus Howard will likely shift inside to guard, and Shaq Mason/Kenyon Green will battle for the other guard position. That will lead to more time in the pocket for Stroud, and more gaps for Mixon and co. to run through. 

The national media can worry about the offensive line, and that’s fine. They get paid to cause concern among fanbases. However, this is the best Texans offensive line in a long time, both the starting lineup and depth positions. 

Despite this, Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis ranked the Texans' offensive line as the 14th best in the NFL. It’s fair to rank the Texans there, as a lot of the unit is still young. However, they have a good chance of being a top-five unit in the league. It’s one of the most underrated units on the team, but by season's end, it should be known across the league. 

So how great can this offense truly be? Well, it all revolves around how the offensive line plays. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true. The run game needs to be produced, and CJ Stroud needs time to throw to the three elite wide receivers he was blessed with. If the offensive line performs well, there is no stopping what this unit can do.