CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Stonewalled and stuffed frequently after punishing tacklers as a rookie a year ago, Texans running back Dameon Pierce has gained perspective while battling through a difficult start as he adapts to an altogether different offense.
Pierce is still adjusting to Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s version of the West Coast offense that features a zone-running system after excelling in a straightforward, quick-hitting offense last season under former offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.
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The Texans have shifted to more of a committee approach in recent games with Pierce and Devin Singletary splitting up carries. And there have been gradual signs of improvement, including more success running the football in wins over the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers. Overall, though, the results have been disappointing as the Texans are ranked 25th in rushing offense with an average of 88.8 rushing yards per game, 28th in touchdown runs and 31st in yards per average with a cumulative 3.2 average per run.
Pierce is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry in rushing for 281 yards and one touchdown on 97 carries through six games heading into Sunday’s game against the winless Carolina Panthers and their porous 31st-ranked run defense that’s giving up 144.3 rushing yards per game.
Pierce is on pace to rush for 796 yards and three touchdowns after rushing for 939 yards as a rookie and earning the NFL Angry Run of the Year for his epic punishing run against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“New offense, so it’s really like another rookie year for me,” Pierce said Friday inside the Texans’ locker room. “Complete overhaul from top to bottom. Completely new identity, whole new philosophy, just trying to find out how I can make plays within the system
“At the end of the day, we’re a lot more detailed than last year, two different offenses. It comes from the 49ers, those guys got a winning tradition, those guys know how to win, they know exactly how to run the ball. They know exactly what they want, they know how they want it.”
Pierce rushed for a season-high 81 yards against the Steelers, but rushed for 31 yards apiece against the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars, 66 yards against the Atlanta Falcons and 34 yards on 13 carries against the Saints. Meanwhile, Singletary rushed for a season-high 58 yards on 12 carries and a 4.8 average against the Saints. Slowik indicated Thursday that the backfield by committee is expected to continue.
“We really believe in a running back by committee,” Slowik said. “We really want to make sure everyone touches the ball, but we want guys to be fast, fresh every time they touch it and I think last game against New Orleans was probably the best we did in that regard as far as making sure we had a share in the load right there.”
Pierce indicated that he feels “amazing” and refreshed physically and mentally after a bye week.
And he anticipates improvement after studying the first six games intensely.
“I learned that we are literally so close in the run game, bro,” Pierce said. “I’m so hard on myself. I’ll be trying to fix it: ‘Coach, what can I do?’ and coach says, ‘It’s a collective effort.’ The running game, it takes everybody. Got to be on it from top to bottom. We made great strides going into the bye week.”
As for the Panthers, although they have standout defenders in edge Brian Burns and defensive tackle Derrick Brown, they’ve allowed 866 rushing yards and a league-high 12 touchdown runs.
“They’re 0-6, but their record doesn’t reflect the way they play,” Pierce said. “They play hard. They kind of remind me of us last year. I’m pretty sure they’re motivated and not trying to let us get a win at their house. It’s going to be a challenge, but I feel like we’re up for it.”
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans saw progress against New Orleans. Now, he wants to build on that growth.
“With the running game, I felt like just having the complement of both, I felt like Devin and DP they did a really good job of getting what they had,” Ryans said. “They ran the ball hard. They finished their runs. I think just having that complement of both guys, it all starts, of course, with our offensive line.
“I thought they’ve done a really good job of blocking it, and guys ran the ball hard, they ran the ball well, and we were effective that way, and we have to continue to improve in that run game as much as we can, and that’s where want to see ourselves improve in this next game and moving forward.”
Pierce is the Texans’ leader in rushing yardage followed by Singletary’s 153 yards on 39 carries. Third-string back Mike Boone has rushed for 15 yards on two carries, including an 11-yard run against the Saints.
Change is afoot with the Texans. Most of it has been positive. The running game, though, has taken a step backward.
“It’s a big culture change in the right direction,” Pierce said. “Still, it takes time to adjust. It’s a different feeling in the locker room. We’re welcoming that change. It’s just all about adapting to it and getting comfortable with it, me included.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com