HOUSTON – For Texans running back Dameon Pierce , it’s been a relatively long time since he’s played in a football game.
Finally, after being sidelined for four games with a strained hamstring, Pierce is regarded as ready to play again.
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The former Texans starter and Pro Bowl alternate is expected to be back for Sunday’s road game against the New England Patriots. Pierce rushed for 16 yards on three carries during the opening game of the season against the Indianapolis Colts. He could potentially provide a boost to the NFL’s 23-ranked running game with his power and tackle-breaking ability, which the Texans have been missing with starter and former Pro Bowl selection Joe Mixon sidelined the past three games with a high-ankle sprain and not practicing Wednesday.
“Excited to have Dameon back, back at practice,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s done a great job with his rehab process and he’s back out working, so we’re expecting to have him ready to go for the game.
A starter as a rookie fourth-round draft pick from Florida who earned the NFL’s Angry Run of the Year award for his epic tackle-busting display against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pierce rushed for 939 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie. However, Pierce lost his starting job last season to Devin ‘Motor’ Singletary and finished with just 416 yards and two touchdowns on 145 carries.
During the preseason, Pierce didn’t have a lot of running room as he combined for just nine yards on eight carries against the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers. In each of those games, Pierce dealt with tough sledding as the line of scrimmage was stacked in the tackle box with defenders stonewalling the Texans’ offensive line.
At 5-foot-10, 215 pounds, Pierce has shown explosiveness in the past. He had a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown last season against the Cleveland Browns.
“It is really big,” Texans Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “I am very happy for DP. He has worked really hard to come back. It is not easy to be injured, and he has done a good job of just trusting the plan of the training staff. He looks good at practice and hopefully he has a great game. I know he will. He has been working really hard and he is really motivated, so it is really big for us.”
Dameon Pierce 'looks good in practice. Hopefully, he has a great game' C.J. Stroud on #Texans running back being back for #Patriots game @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/a0QKkbxEcG
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 9, 2024
Pierce was in too much of a rush at times last season as he tried to learn an unfamiliar strategic approach to running the football after excelling in the pass on quicker-hitting, more straightforward runs. And his body weight and nutrition weren’t where he wanted them to be. So, Pierce switched things up this offseason. He’s down to 210 to 214 from 217 to 218 pounds last year through a diet emphasizing lean meats and vegetables designed by the Texans’ nutritionists.
Pierce feels like a new man, and it shows through his play on the field and the smile on his face, at least in practice sessions.
“I’m feeling comfortable, I’m feeling in shape,” Pierce told KPRC 2 during training camp. “Last year was like another rookie year for me in terms of unlearning and relearning things. My head was in a thousand places at one time, and that’s not efficient. You can’t play fast. You can’t play clean if you’re thinking a lot, if you’re wondering, ‘What I got on these plays? Who do I have on that? Was I right on this play?’ So, a lot of the cobwebs and all that are gone. I’m more precise and more sharp, cleaner. Everything just feels right. It’s fun again, bro.
“I ain’t gonna say last year took the fun away from the game, but, man, nobody wants to be hurt. Nobody wants to be on the sidelines. Nobody wants to not be in the action. Nobody wants to not be on the field. So, it was definitely a learning curve. You heard it. Compared to last year to this year, it feels amazing to be back out here and be in the mix and doing my thing the right way. Everything just feels right and comfortable. It’s like football. To not have missed assignments, this is the kind of football I like playing.”
Pierce had a 2.9 average per run in 14 games and seven starts last season, dealing with an ankle injury and a tough adjustment to offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s zone-based running system.
Pierce wanted to make some changes after last season.
He changed his diet, incorporating more lean proteins and vegetables into his diet. After playing at around 223 to 225 pounds as a rookie fourth-round draft pick from Florida, Pierce has more energy now at a lighter weight and still appears powerful.
“This year, I’ve got way more muscle mass, more lean muscle mass and I feel great,” Pierce said. “I got tips on proper nutrition and it feels good. I really don’t eat red meat no more, but when I do I go crazy. If I’m going to get the red meat, I’m going to get the ox tails and go crazy.”
Against the Browns, Pierce reminded everyone in the NFL how explosive and powerful he can be toting a football in the open field.
Pierce attacked the kickoff coverage during a 36-22 loss at NRG Stadium, aggressively attacking the middle of the field in a structured return before cutting to his right toward the sideline and running away from pursuit. The Bainbridge, Georgia native wasn’t going to be caught -- especially by Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins, who injured his hamstring chasing after Pierce in vain. He got shoved at the 2-yard line by linebacker Charlie Thomas II and dove into the end zone.
It was one of the few bright spots as the touchdown got the Texans on the scoreboard after the Browns opened up a 14-0 lead following a 75-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Amari Cooper.
The touchdown from Pierce was just the third kickoff return for a score last season around the NFL and the second by the Texans after fullback Andrew Beck’s 85-yard return against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Pierce had a season-high 24 carries for 81 yards in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 1 and 20 runs for 66 yards against the Atlanta Falcons the following week. He injured his ankle against the Carolina Panthers, missing nearly a month of action before returning.
“What I have seen from Dameon this offseason is a guy who has put in the work,” Ryans said. “As you have mentioned, he has changed his body, he is strong, he has been working out every day of the offseason program. Not only here just working out, but I am also proud of Dameon for him going back and finishing his degree at Florida. So, just the complete man, working out as a football player, but also finishing that degree means a lot to him.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com