HOUSTON – For Texans running back Woody Marks, his rookie season has been defined by patience and bursts of potential.
Marks didn’t earn the starting job over veteran runner Nick Chubb until the ninth game of the regular season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Recommended Videos
Since that game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Texans haven’t lost. They’re on an NFL-leading nine-game winning streak with Marks as their primary running back. While the numbers haven’t been huge with a team-high 703 rushing yards and two touchdowns for a 22nd-ranked running game, Marks has been a steady contributor who has stepped up in timely ways heading into a Monday night AFC wild-card road playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And Marks, a fourth-round draft pick from USC, is well aware of what the playoffs mean, how he needs to approach the opportunity and how he needs to keep elevating his game to complement the Texans’ passing game engineered by quarterback C.J. Stroud. A conversation with Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair provided some perspective for Marks.
The NFL playoffs, as high profile a stage that exists in football, represents a proving ground for young players like Marks.
“Just in the moment right now,” Marks told KPRC 2. “Ready to go this time of year. Azeez told me, ‘This is where you make your name. Made your money in the regular season, make your name right here.’ So, I’m ready to go out and play.”
Marks rushed for 48 yards on 10 carries against the Indianapolis Colts last week before being rested for the remainder of the game while British Brooks rushed for a career-high 63 yards.
With Jawhar Jordan out indefinitely with a high-ankle sprain, per league sources, and Chubb not getting as many carries as the start of the season, it’s up to Marks to shoulder the workload and keep the Steelers defense honest Monday night.
Marks has shown he’s more than capable of doing so. He rushed for a season-high 74 yards on 16 carries in a key Thursday night win over the Buffalo Bills. He grinded out some tough yards to close out the Los Angeles Chargers on the road on Dec. 27 with 71 yards on 19 carries. And he’s contributed 24 catches for 208 yards and three touchdowns.
In spurts, Marks has displayed decisiveness, vision and toughness.
“I think Woody has, throughout the year, I feel like he’s gotten better with the more reps that he’s getting in,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I feel like Woody, he does a better job the more times he touches the football. He’s always going forward, always gaining positive yards and that patience comes with setting up your blocks.
“You have to do a good job setting up your blocks to put you in position to make guys miss at certain times, and Woody has done a good job of that.”
Signed to a four-year, $6.001 million contract, Marks has had his moments.
Now, he’s looking for a big game against an experienced Steelers defense headlined by T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Patrick Queen, Nick Herbig and Cam Heyward.
“It’s going to be good,” Marks said. “Just watching them on film, it’s going to be a great ,physical game. They fly around.”
Marks rushed for 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns last season and caught 47 passes for 321 yards for the Trojans.
Marks (5-foot-10, 208 pounds) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.54 seconds with a 1.57 10-yard split, a 35-inch vertical leap, a 9-11 broad jump, a 4.24 short shuttle and bench pressed 225 pounds 18 times.
Marks finished his collegiate career with 3,016 rushing yards and 31 touchdown runs with 261 catches for 1,564 yards and five scores.
In the NFL, he’s not getting as many touches. Marks is averaging 12.3 carries per game. His season-high is 26 runs for 68 yards in a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. His highest average per carry was 5.6 yards a run in a win over the San Francisco 49ers as he gained 62 yards on 11 carries with four catches for 49 yards. He caught a 50-yard pass against the Baltimore Ravens.
He has 911 total yards from scrimmage and 46 total first downs.
He has gutted it out through injuries, especially a lingering ankle issue. He’s fully healthy now, though.
“That’s just part of the position,” Marks said. “Sometimes, you’re going to have these bumps and bruises. I don’t think I’ve been getting hit hard, but it adds up. I play running back. I get hit every play.”
The offensive line, coached by Cole Popovich, the Texans’ run game coordinator, has built some solid pathways for Marks to run through and he’s doing a solid job of finding the holes and busting through them.
“It’s amazing, bless them guys,” Marks said. “They’ve been moving around. A lot of pieces got hurt and people stepped up. So, you know what’s coming in if somebody go down.
“Just love them guys, the way they work, their attitude. I think Cole does a great job. Just get them pumped and get them ready. Cole sets the tone for the offense.”
Marks has rushed for 48, 71, 30, 68, 64, 74, 44, and 64 yards during the Texans’ winning streak.
The Texans have managed his workload carefully. They don’t want to overuse the rookie.
“Woody is a warrior, he does a great job,” Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley said. “He’s getting better every single week.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com