Texans running on empty

By Adam Markowitz  |   Thursday, August 07, 2008  |  Comments( 7 )

Houston Texans
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What would you say if I told you that the Houston Texans and New England Patriots have something in common? You'd probably call me crazy. However, in the wonderful world that is the National Football League, these two teams also share a bond with the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers. What is it? Well, they're the only four clubs in the NFL that haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher in the past three seasons.

Texans head coach Gary Kubiak isn't used to having such trouble finding successful runners. In 11 years as the offensive coordinator in Denver, his Broncos had a 1,000-yard back a whopping 10 times. Sure, great ball carriers like Terrell Davis and Clinton Portis thrived in Kubiak's system, accounting for six of the 1,000-yard campaigns, but the others were held by less-than-household names such as Mike Anderson (twice), Olandis Gary and Reuben Droughns.

Only once in Texans history has a running back gone for 1,000 yards (Domanick Williams totaled 1,188 in in 2004). One would like to figure that Kubiak, who brought to Houston his zone blocking scheme from Denver, would be able to produce more out of his backs.

The problem is that his offensive line has been a mess since the Texans came into existence. Finally in 2008, Houston appears to have addressed its O-line woes by selecting tackle Duane Brown with its first pick in April's draft. The Texans also added center Chris Myers in free agency, and they hope that the development of guard Chester Pitts and tackle Eric Winston will create the right mix for the running game.

In fairness to the Houston ground attack, the team hasn't had a featured back during Kubiak's tenure. Last year alone, Ahman Green, Ron Dayne, Adimchinobi Echemandu, Darius Walker, and Samkon Gado started at least one game in the backfield.

Don't look for things to change much this year for the Texans. Green and Walker return, but they are joined by Chris Brown, Chris Taylor, Mike Bell and third-round rookie Steve Slaton in a crowded backfield that will have very heated competition in the preseason.

Though 2008 likely won't be the year that the Texans find their second 1,000-yard rusher, just being able to call the running game a force instead of a liability should propel Houston one step closer to its first playoff berth in franchise history.

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