ARLINGTON – Texans standout rookie running back Dameon Pierce jammed his cleat into the ground at AT&T Stadium as he limped off the field Sunday after being attended to by trainers and team medical officials.
Once Pierce went to the sideline, his left ankle was quickly retaped and he went back into the game. It was clear, though, that his ankle was preventing him from operating normally as he gained one yard on his final carry.
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Pierce was ruled out for the remainder of a 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, and his absence was felt. Especially during a pivotal red-zone opportunity when the Texans had a chance to put the game away in the final minutes. Veteran running back Rex Burkhead was stuffed twice during that sequence for total losses of three yards and quarterback Jeff Driskel was stopped on fourth down shy of the end zone, leading up to the Cowboys’ game-winning drive.
Pierce was limping in the locker room after the game and wasn’t made available to reporters. He indicated optimism to others that it’s not a long-term injury. There is hope that it’s not a long-term injury and that it’s a normal sprained ankle, not a high-ankle sprain. Pierce will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam Monday to determine the severity of the injury, according to a league source.
Pierce rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries with one lost fumble, including one run where he bulldozed safety Malik Hooker by lowering his right shoulder. Pierce has rushed for 939 yards, the most among all NFL rookies, and four touchdowns.
Not having Pierce in the red zone impacted the Texans’ play-calling and effectiveness.
“It affected quite a bit,” Texans coach Lovie Smith said. “First-and-goal inside the five, the plan would’ve been a little bit different, but nobody wants to hear about injuries. We’ve had quite a few. If Dameon would’ve been healthy and ready to go, of course he would’ve been in there.”
Pierce is the Texans’ most dangerous and productive offensive player on a 1-11-1 team. He runs with a punishing running style. Just ask Hooker.
The fourth-round draft pick from Florida has four games with 75 rushing yards and one touchdown this season, the most since retired Pro Bowl running back Arian Foster had five in 2014.
In other injury updates, cornerback Steven Nelson injured his ankle and didn’t return with Tremon Smith intercepting the first two passes of his NFL career in his place.
Rookie offensive guard Kenyon Green injured his ankle,but was able to return after being replaced by backup center Jimmy Morrissey. Green was limping badly after the game.
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to KPRC2 and click2houston.com