Woody Marks may be lining up for another heavy workload when the Texans face the Chargers in Week 9, and the path there is pretty clear: David Montgomery still isn’t close to returning.
Montgomery has been out since Week 5 with a lingering groin injury, and while his rehab is moving in the right direction, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reported that a return is “not imminent.” DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Houston didn’t have a major update on Montgomery, though the team will keep evaluating him throughout the week.
That leaves the Texans with a familiar setup if Montgomery can’t go again. Marks has already spent the last three games as the centerpiece of Houston’s backfield, and the usage has been heavy. In each of those games, he has logged at least 18 touches as both a runner and receiver, while playing at least 77% of the Texans’ offensive snaps.
The workload spiked even more in the latest game against the Giants. With Jawhar Jordan out, Marks was on the field for 88% of Houston’s snaps and finished with more than 20 touches and more than 80 all-purpose yards. If he hadn’t briefly left the game because of an injury in the second half, those totals would have climbed even higher.
That kind of role could be waiting again if Montgomery sits one more week. Houston has three practices before the Chargers game, so there’s still a chance Montgomery could be limited or full-go by the time the week unfolds. But if he remains out, Marks looks set for another featured day.
The matchup also gives Houston a real opening on the ground. The Chargers have been run on a lot, with opposing offenses calling run plays at a rate over 50% against them, one of just two teams in that category along with the Dolphins.
And while that volume is partly tied to game script, teams have also had success against them. Los Angeles has allowed 11 or more rushing touchdowns, given up the 10th-most rushing yards per game, and owns the league’s worst run-stuff rate at 11.8%.
If the Texans can get ahead early and keep leaning on Marks, the formula is there for both a productive afternoon and another big stat line for the second-year back. It would also help Houston avoid becoming the Chargers’ first win in what has been a rough season for Los Angeles.
In Other News...
Texans Fans Have A Real Reason To Worry About Cole Popovich
The Saints decision to move on from run-game coordinator T.J. Paganetti is a reminder of how quickly NFL patience can run out when a rushing attack stalls, and it puts a sharper spotlight on the Texans own concerns up front. Houston offensive line coach and run-game coordinator Cole Popovich has been under scrutiny for a unit that has lingered near the bottom of the league in several rushing and blocking categories across the 2025 and 2026 seasons, a stretch that has kept the conversation around the offensive line from going away.
Popovich has earned respect elsewhere in his career, but the Texans have not gotten the kind of consistent line play that would quiet the criticism. Injuries and roster turnover have complicated the picture, yet the results have still left his future with the team in question, especially with the pressure only growing on a staff trying to fix the ground game. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Backfield Shuffle Puts Fresh Focus On Their Depth Plan
The Texans made another quiet tweak to the bottom of their roster as they head into the second half of the regular season, releasing defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy and running back Deuce Vaughn while adding rookie running back Josh Pitsenberger to the practice squad. It is the kind of move that rarely draws much attention on its own, but it does speak to how Houston keeps sorting through depth as the season wears on.
Pitsenbergers return is the most notable part of the shuffle. The undrafted rookie from Yale had already been in the Texans orbit before landing on injured reserve and later being waived with an injury settlement, and now he gets another chance to stick around in the organization. For a team trying to keep its backfield and practice squad flexible, these are the small transactions that can matter later, even if the bigger picture is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Still Waiting On Reed Blankenship For A Bigger Reason
Reed Blankenships absence has become a familiar part of the Texans defensive picture over the past couple of weeks, with the safety still working back from surgery on his left hand and continuing through concussion protocol as the team moves into Week 8. He has already missed multiple games, leaving Houston to adjust its back end while veteran M.J. Stewart has filled in as a replacement starter.
For the Texans, the bigger issue is not just whether Blankenship can get back on the field, but when he can clear the checkpoints that matter most. His availability for the next stretch will hinge on how he holds up in practice and how the medical evaluations go, which leaves Houston waiting on more than just a return date. [Read more 🡒]