Carlos Hyde produced a career-high with 1,070 running yards on the 2019 Houston Texans offense.
While the former 2014 San Francisco 49ers second-round pick would not return to Houston, production showed what any runner could do in Houston’s offense.
This line of thinking is what coach and general manager Bill O’Brien used to play in building the 2020 roster. Instead of using the club’s second or third round picks to catch a younger runner, O’Brien changed All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins three times to the Arizona Cardinals and caught 2016 All-Pro runner-up David Johnson
If Hyde could get 1,000 yards on that offense, what could Johnson do?
So far, 479 yards and four touchdowns out of 121 are carried out over 10 games, just half of what Hyde was able to accomplish in Houston.
To look for Houston’s four wins, the Texans had to place quarterback Deshaun Watson and ask him to play at an elite level. It had no runners to bolster it like the year before. If Watson couldn’t keep up, the jeans were toasting.
The New Orleans Saints proved how vital it is to have a backhand that can remove the quarterback’s heat. Drew Brees threw two interceptions and not a single touchdown on the Saints ’victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day. However, Alvin Kamara had the back of the team as he scored six quick touchdowns, tying an NFL record.
Instead of getting rid of one of the game’s best receivers because the organization didn’t want the distraction of a contract, the Texans could have kept Hopkins and drafted AJ Dillon, Zack Moss or La’Michal Perine. Maybe they are in a position to negotiate and jump ahead of the Baltimore Ravens and take on JK Dobbins. Instead, Houston gets older by running back and asks his franchised quarterback to do even more than he should in 2019.
The Texans don’t have a running game that can take the pressure off Watson with any ability. The new general manager and new coach must figure out how to do it if Houston wants to return to future playoff races.