As a team the 2022 Houston Texans were forgettable. However, the roster for the franchise’s 21st season produced underrated talent that is starting to gain national recognition.
Dameon Pierce earned a measure of that attention in his rookie season. The fourth-round running back generated 939 yards through 13 games, finishing third in the league among all rookies. Assuredly the Florida product could have crested the 1,000-yard mark if he had played the final four games, and become the first Texans rookie to do so.
According to Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire, Pierce is already the eighth-best running back in the NFL — coming ahead of the likes of Austin Ekeler, Javonte Williams, and Tony Pollard.
Pierce did nothing to dissuade his believers in his rookie season, gaining 939 yards and scoring four touchdowns on just 220 carries, and adding 30 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown for good measure in an offense that otherwise struggled to impress. Pearce’s ability to make things happen after first contact was perhaps his primary attribute as a draft prospect, and he forwarded that to the NFL with conviction — his 62 missed tackles forced ranked fifth in the league, his 3.28 yards after contact per attempt ranked eighth, and 722 of those 939 rushing yards came after contact.
This 24-yard run against the Cowboys in Week 14 shows that if you don’t bring every fiber of your being when it’s time to tackle Pierce, things are not going to go well for your defense.
Where Pierce may see more positive recognition is after working in new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s system. With a scheme that places an emphasis on establishing the run, Pierce will have his chances to feature as a key component in the offense.
Houston fans are hopeful Pierce then becomes, not only a top-3 back, but helps the Texans get out of the AFC South basement in the process.
