00:00Do you feel like the Texans have a bona fide run game now?
00:03Because this is a thing that we've kind of monitored for a long time.
00:06One, because it is adjacent to one of the big conversations that we had had
00:10with this team coming in, which was the running, or not the running game,
00:13rather the offensive line, right?
00:15The offensive line is pivotal.
00:17It is important to running the football in any way, shape, or form,
00:20and that's something that we did not have a lot of confidence in early.
00:23But this is back-to-back weeks of having the same offensive line
00:25with a whole bunch of big boys.
00:27So there's that, right?
00:28There's Woody Marks finding his established place as running back one
00:32in this running back room, and there's been the constant talk
00:35from D'Amico Ryans, Nick Kaley, and anybody else who had an opportunity
00:38to talk about that in the way that they want to be a running team.
00:42They want to be physical.
00:43They want to be aggressive.
00:44They want to be able to control the clock, have time of possession.
00:48All of that seems to point back to running.
00:49And so let me just start with how it feels for you, John Lopez.
00:52Does it feel like this team actually has a bona fide running game?
00:56Short answer, yes.
00:57And we are not, what, three, four weeks maybe removed from sitting in these very chairs
01:04and wondering, why are they doing this?
01:07You know, it's not working.
01:08Remember, we've had that discussion multiple times.
01:11How can you call yourself, what was it?
01:14We want to not dominate the line of scrimmage and run the ball and impose our will.
01:21That was another one.
01:21And we're like, why are you doing this?
01:23It's, you know, we're seven, eight, nine weeks in and it wasn't working.
01:28Here's the thing, though.
01:30Just a couple of tweaks, a big tweak on the offensive line.
01:34And all of a sudden, they're not a great running attack.
01:38They're, you know, you always, you know, have the key numbers that can back these things up.
01:42But they're not a great, I don't think by any gauge, running attack.
01:49But here's where it's key.
01:51You have to plan for it if you're the opponent.
01:53You have to figure out a way to, you know, stop them from, you know, two yards, three yards, two yards, 12 yards.
02:02You know, because they're not giving up on the running game and it's showing a little more success.
02:06That's a running game.
02:07That's a run game.
02:08It absolutely is.
02:09And you know what's funny is that's kind of how I felt as well watching this game is it felt like, all right,
02:15finding a way to run the ball more convincingly.
02:18They're obviously the time of possession, the way that they were able to win that consistently feels like, okay, that means something.
02:25Then I went and looked at the numbers because actually before I went and looked at the numbers,
02:29the thing that I looked at was just the offensive line feels better.
02:33It feels like they're more aware.
02:35It feels like they're getting more push on the front.
02:38I mean, that is what has enabled them to, at least twice, get under center with Cade Stover and be able to actually, like, push for a yard.
02:47Like, they looked like a team that could be aggressive at the point of attack, which is not something you could say all season long for this Texas team.
02:56Then I got into the numbers.
02:57Okay.
02:57And I'm going to be entirely honest.
02:59First, it shocked me that the numbers in this game looked the way that they were, derogatory.
03:05Yeah.
03:05Right?
03:06It did not hold up with what my kind of thought process was for this.
03:12Can I take you to, let me see, where do I have it here?
03:16Yards before contact, which, again, feels like that would be indicative of the offensive line getting pushed because that was one of the things I was like,
03:22let me see if I can back this up, and I'm just looking at this week 13 game, they got about a half a yard before contact, .58, not that that matters a lot.
03:32The most important thing is I looked at that relative to the other weeks of the season for the Texans.
03:37That's the second worst yards before contact that they've had this season.
03:41Okay.
03:42And it's second only to the Buffalo game, weirdly enough.
03:44Yeah, but I also think, let's look at yards after contact, because then you start talking about Woody Marks.
03:49And this is where, and yes, yards after contact was 2.6, which is sixth best.
03:53So, okay.
03:54Yeah.
03:55A little bit more interesting.
03:56And I was like, just the idea that it was the Buffalo game and the Colts game where you had the least yards before contact just did not sit right with me.
04:03The thing that was frustrating as well is that the stuff rate, like the rate at which they were stuffed at the line of scrimmage, second highest to the Seattle game.
04:11Which, again, does not seem to track with what it feels like, the feeling, the visceral feeling of watching this run game.
04:18And I'm trying to find a way to square this, John Lopez.
04:20Can I help?
04:21Please.
04:22They ran four tush pushes.
04:24Stover, Red Rover, Stovers.
04:26Sure, sure.
04:27That's getting stuffed.
04:27All they want is a yard.
04:29Fair.
04:29You know what I mean?
04:30So there's four snaps right there in the run game.
04:32I don't know exactly how many they had.
04:34But there's four, which is a pretty decent number, that is going to skew that yards before contact.
04:42You know what I mean?
04:42So you have to kind of take in, you know, this is where trust your eyes comes into play.
04:48And then I think also it's worth noting that even running the football, Woody Marks, who had a relative good day in the way that it felt.
04:54And with the, you know, the caveat of the ankle, 3.4 yards a carry.
05:00Nick Chubb, 3.8 yards a carry.
05:02Those are not things that you would write down as these are great games.
05:05And I think that this is where it's real interesting for me because I think I am more inclined, you know me, numbers guy, I'm more inclined to lean into my feel here, especially when you add in the context that you did, which I really appreciate you bringing up here, is it feels like their run game is good for what they need it to be good for.
05:22They didn't have a lot of explosive runs in this, like the only two 10-plus yard rushes versus, I mean, many games this year where they had three or four.
05:31There's even a game where they had five of those versus the Jags in week 10.
05:35But it was good for what they needed.
05:37They were able to matriculate down the field.
05:39They were able to hold on to the football.
05:41They were able to have tough runs when they needed it, including Woody Marks when you're trying to salt the game away.
05:47And it's like, hey, I'm touched three yards beyond the line of scrimmage, but I'm going to fall forward for an additional five or six, right?
05:53This is the thing that it feels like.
05:55And so I'm willing to say numbers be damned.
05:58I don't want to say that they have a prolific run game by any means, but they have an effective one, which is all that they need, especially for what the recipe is that they've tried to build.
06:07Which, correct me if you think I'm wrong, it almost feels a little bit like a SEC game plan circa the mid-teens of the 20.
06:17Hit it, hit it, hit it, and then all of a sudden you get a bigger play.
06:20And we're just going to wear you down.
06:22We're going to time and possession you, and it's going to be enough.
06:25Now, it's not going to be the Alabama SEC of it, but you get what I'm saying.
06:29It feels like that is the way that they're going, and they're finding a way for you to squint and see it.
06:33Yeah, and I think that's why there are elements, and there are times, and this is one, where you really do have to trust your eyes.
06:40Not only the four tush pushes, but there were some plays where they knew that they were running into a box.
06:47I mean, we could see it watching from the TV, on TV, and yet they did it, and D'Amico actually addressed this a little bit yesterday on the coach's show.
06:55Like, we're just trying to make sure that we can still do play action.
06:58But, so, you know, there are elements in it in which they're, as I said to start, I wouldn't say they're a great running team, but they're a running team.
07:07And then they're leaning on it, and they're relying on it to set up so many other things.
07:12Yeah, and I'm glad that you mentioned play action because this is just a random note that I had made that now comes up when the words play action trigger me.
07:19It felt like they sold play action better, and it's not even just about, like, them running the ball more because I actually don't subscribe to that.
07:25I do subscribe to the nerd or theory that the play action is more just about selling it rather than running the football effectively in order for people to bite on it.
07:34They did sell it a lot better because there was a point in time early in the season where we're like, I'm sitting here looking like there's no way that's a play action.
07:41Now, some of those instances was the running back is like, what's more important?
07:44Me selling this play action or actually picking up this pass pro block that I need to go get to, right?
07:50I think that's some of it.
07:51But there was instances where it was like, this is a bad play action sell, right?
07:55There was a lot better sells this game, which I imagine also helped have those linebackers bite.
08:01But that's neither here nor there.
08:02When it comes to the run game, it does feel like it is finding a way to be more effective.
08:06Also, just because the line is being more aware in instances.
08:10We talked about that Woody Mark 16-yard run on the outside zone where he cuts it up, where these guys are stepping to the right and you got Ed Ingram leveling somebody.
08:18You got Titus Howard at the left guard spot wheeling around and being aware that, hey, I actually, what would typically be my assignment in here is not here.
08:26So let me check back and make sure that this backside block or backside defender doesn't go and trip my guy up.
08:31I think that those are the little things that are making this a little more tenable.
08:34I think the other thing that ties directly into that is a lot of times they don't waste plays, but they know it's not going to be a big game.
08:43But it's also going to set up other things.
08:46You know, you talk about running between the guards and the tackles.
08:50Sometimes they know that that's going to go for three yards at most.
08:53But it sets up the outside zone.
08:55They did mix in some of that, as you just mentioned, a lot more in this game.
09:00So even the run game, it's not just passes that set up other passes or play action or whatever.
09:03It's the run game being able to set up other options on the edges.
09:06Yeah, and I think also, to be fair, some of this is just an acknowledgment of what hasn't worked for them and actually making the adjustment.
09:13I think D'Amico on the coach's show with Vandermeer and Harris made point of like, as the game rather went along versus the Colts, they were like, hey, how about we run it to the outside?
09:22And I was sitting there listening to it like, yeah, yeah, some of us were looking at Grover Stewart in there and being like, don't run at him.
09:29And I think that better late than never is the way that I will say this.
09:32And maybe that's a little bit too tongue-in-cheek with it.
09:35Maybe that's a little cheeky with it.
09:36I get it.
09:37But, yes, acknowledging what your personnel is and doing the things that are going to make it successful, that is also a good thing that's helping them.
09:47I would be also interested what the effect, how many negative plays they're getting in the run game.
09:53You're talking about yards before contact.
09:55But I think that you just feel as if, again, trusting your eyes, you're not getting the minus twos and minus threes on the run game as much either.
10:03So that still, it's not a loss.
10:06It's a D'Amico Ryan's, you know, we don't want any negative plays thing.
10:09So I think that helps.
10:10Yeah.
10:10So I see you 8-3-0 on the Tex line.
10:12Texans are not a good run team.
10:14The offensive line is soft and rarely physical.
10:16I don't think you can say that with the current iteration of this.
10:19I'm not.
10:19And, again, I want to make it abundantly clear.
10:21Not saying this is a great run team.
10:23Yeah.
10:23I'm not even sure how much I can say this is like a very good or good even run team.
10:27But it is a run team.
10:28It feels like it's effective enough in the run to make this work, which is one of those things that it might be that we've been worn down and the erosion of the season has gotten us to this place where that's good.
10:39That's good enough for me.
10:41But I think it is good enough for me.
10:42And that is worthwhile in my estimation.
10:45I agree.
