The Houston Texans are looking for a jolt anywhere they can find it, and the running back rotation may be the next place they turn after an 0-3 start.
With Nico Collins set to come back and give the offense a badly needed boost, the ground game remains a bigger problem. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that Houston is planning to adjust how it divides the carries, with David Montgomery still involved but Woody Marks expected to get more of the work moving forward.
“My sense of it is still that they'll give more work to Woody Marks, as he has generally been running better and looking more explosive than offseason addition David Montgomery,” Graziano writes.
So far, neither back has given the Texans much to hang onto. Montgomery opened the year with the look of a player who might be headed for a strong 2026 season after Week 1, but the production has fallen flat over three games.
He has 37 carries for 103 yards, which works out to 2.8 yards per carry. Marks has been slightly better at 22 carries for 65 yards, a 3.0-yard average.
Even with those numbers, the Texans appear ready to trust the eye test and lean more heavily on Marks. The second-year back is expected to see his role grow, though the report suggests he still won’t be the team’s lead back.
The offensive line is part of the issue, too, and it looms over whatever the Texans try next. But Houston is clearly searching for a spark, and the possibilities are straightforward: Collins returns, Marks gets more touches, the line plays better, or some combination of all three finally gets the run game moving.
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Texans Wideout Depth Suddenly Back In Focus After Another Change
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For Houston, these are the kinds of small roster moves that can matter over the long haul, especially at a position where depth can change quickly. Saunders now gets another chance to continue his development in-house, while the Texans sort through the ripple effects of losing Tinsley and keeping the wideout room stocked behind the players already on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Suddenly Face A Linebacker Crisis Ahead Of Dallas
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If Al-Shaair cannot go, the Texans would be leaning on veteran Jake Hansen and rookie Wade Woodaz to absorb a much bigger load. It is the kind of depth test that can change the shape of a game plan in a hurry, especially against a Dallas offense that will be paying close attention to every weak spot Houston has left in front of it. [Read more 🡒]
Andre Johnson Weighed In On Houstons 0-3 Mess
The Texans 0-3 start has already turned up the pressure in Houston, but Andre Johnson wasnt willing to put the blame on C.J. Stroud alone when he spoke at the teams Forever H-Town event. The former star receiver, now a trusted voice around the franchise, said Stroud has looked generally solid even as the results have gone sideways, and he framed the opening month as a broader team issue rather than a quarterback-only problem.
Houstons early struggles have been tied to a shaky offensive line, a running game that has not found much traction and the absence of top target Nico Collins because of injury. Johnsons read is a reminder that the Texans fix is going to have to be more comprehensive than one quick change at quarterback, and the longer the losing continues, the more every part of the offense will stay under the microscope. [Read more 🡒]