Can the Texans Run the Ball Against the Patriots?

KILT-AM / SportsRadio 610

ITL debates whether the Texans can lean on the run game against the Patriots, with Reggie making the case that Houston could find real success on the ground.

Transcript

00:00the Texans, I think, are going to be able to run the football here.

00:03I do, too.

00:04What is your case?

00:05Because there's a couple things that just jump out at me.

00:07Well, first and foremost, I was obviously shocked by the 112-yard performance

00:11for Woody Marks and the 140-something-lot-yard performance

00:17from the offense running anyways.

00:19And one of the things that they did really well,

00:21obviously they had these duo blocks that they did,

00:23a lot of great combination blocks, a lot of inside zone as well

00:27when they were starting to uptick on the, oh, this is working,

00:29and we're just going to run it down your throat.

00:31And I had to go and ask one of my really football-knowledgeable friends.

00:37I can say his name.

00:39She threw it out to a Super Bowl-winning scout, Brian Broadus.

00:42I was like, hey, does inside zone have a natural advantage versus 3-4 fronts?

00:49He was like, yeah, actually, it does.

00:50I was like, okay, so this is something I had not considered.

00:52You know who runs a 3-4 front?

00:54That would be the New England Patriots.

00:55Yeah, the New England Patriots have a 3-4 front.

00:57So you know me, I had to go and see what are the statistics that I can use

01:00to maybe see what's been happening with this New England Patriots front.

01:05And I tried to go from week 10.

01:08Obviously, the full season isn't necessarily giving you the best idea.

01:10What does the last half of the season tell you?

01:12And since week 10, the New England Patriots,

01:15against inside zone in particular, allowed 4.8 yards per rush.

01:20It was good for 28th in the league.

01:23They were one of the five worst teams stopping inside zone.

01:28And you think defense with them.

01:30I mean, at least when you think of Vrabel.

01:31But this team has really been a lot of Drake May

01:34and a decent amount of a little bit here and there.

01:37Obviously, Christian Gonzalez on the backside is really good.

01:39On top of that, you talk about like a duo and man kind of things,

01:44which again are one of the concepts that the Texans did really well in this game.

01:47And they've done pretty well all season long.

01:48The Patriots allowed, interestingly enough, 3.4 yards per carry,

01:55which was fifth best.

01:56So, oddly enough, they were pretty good in those circumstances.

02:00But inside zone, which I know this team likes running, this Texas team,

02:03they're really bad at.

02:04And I was like, huh, maybe this is here.

02:07The interior of their defensive line can be moved.

02:10It's something that up in those parts, they've had some concerns about.

02:13Now, they did bring back Milton Williams,

02:16who was one of their D3-4 defensive ends.

02:20And he looked good in their game last week.

02:23And he's not in this sample of stats for a long time

02:26because he missed probably something like six weeks during the season.

02:28And then also their inside linebacker, Robert Spillane,

02:32who plays, obviously, linebacker.

02:34Getting up in the run, that matters.

02:36He just came back as well.

02:37So, does that change from being 28th versus inside zone to what?

02:4315th?

02:43Like, are they going to be average?

02:44That's about where the Steelers were.

02:46I think that you have a possibility.

02:48And if you're on your blocks, which it felt like they did pretty well,

02:51and with the schematic advantage that I think you can create

02:54using this inside zone, I think you could still probably run the ball.

02:57Maybe you don't run for, you know, have a running back run for 100 yards,

03:01but you can still have an effective run game,

03:04which is necessary, I think, for the best versions of this Texans offense.

03:07Yeah, no, look, I feel much the same way.

03:09And part of it is exactly what you said.

03:12When they, and it was a thing of beauty, to be honest,

03:15the way they were double-teaming the nose or the interior tackle in this game

03:20and being able to get to the second level in the Steelers game,

03:23it has just been, it's been a revelation.

03:27But I think two other things just flat out, you know,

03:29that have been more recent, kind of what you're talking about.

03:31You're looking at the, you know, the last third of the season

03:33or so, this offensive line is just better.

03:36This offensive line is just better at the outside positions, too.

03:39Ariante Urseri, I'm not going to say revelation

03:42because he's a rookie and it's just about a development,

03:44but he's played really, really well, you know,

03:46in the pass game for sure, but certainly in the run game as well.

03:49And Trent Brown has been doing much the same thing.

03:51He really held the edge with some help from Blake Fisher.

03:55He was throwing dudes out the club.

03:56Yeah, Blake Fisher had, you know, probably his best game as a Texan

04:00outside of the, you know, getting smoked on a pass rush.

04:02But that's going to happen occasionally.

04:04So I think the edges are real good, too.

04:06And then the other part that is truly a revelation is, you know,

04:11there is no more who's your number one running back.

04:14Woody Marks is your guy.

04:15Woody Marks has found that comfort level, that ability to, you know,

04:20the proverbial, the game has slowed down and knowing when and where to cut

04:24and being able to hit the ball, you know, at full speed when he knows it's there.

04:31So the combination of the offensive line, the ability to double team,

04:35how good they've been at that, and Woody Marks, you know,

04:37Nick Chubb has been a nice changeup, but Woody Marks is the running back.

04:41Sure, but I will say, though, seeing Nick Chubb look that effective as he has been

04:46put on the back burner for a lot of the latter portions of the season,

04:50that was deeply encouraging as well because I think there is something to be said for.

04:53I feel like we should name the blue tent, like the Woody Marks honorary tent

04:59because he'd be in there all the damn time.

05:02Somewhat to his chagrin, I don't know if you saw, he seemed like he was pretty upset.

05:05He posted something on his Instagram story that I imagine was about the way that,

05:10you know, the Pittsburgh Steelers ended up on his ankle with the time that he went

05:13into the tent this game.

05:15The possibility of Woody Marks missing a few plays, even though he'll come back and play,

05:19he'll tough through it.

05:20He did it this past week.

05:21But the possibility of him missing a few plays to maybe knock on wood

05:24wherever you are, missing substantial time because of one of these types of injuries,

05:29it's mitigated a little bit, especially if Nick Chubb looks, you know, useful in

05:34especially those inside zone reps, those duo reps where he has an opportunity to,

05:39you know, read the blocks and use his feet well and kind of dance in the space

05:43like he did.

05:44I think that that is helpful.

05:45Plus, we're another week removed from what Jawar Jordan was dealing with.

05:49Is this something where Jawar Jordan will be back?

05:51And now you have a three-man compliment, and you can give them all a little bit of burn,

05:54see who's doing the best, and just let them go.

05:56That's a great point on Jawar Jordan.

05:56I hadn't even really considered that.

05:58I thought high ankle sprain, he'd be still out, but we don't know.

06:01By the way, they'll be taking the practice field here in a little bit more than an hour,

06:05so we will get some early looks.

06:06If you look at that thing, we wouldn't expect to see him out there.

06:10If you see Nico Collins out there, honestly, I might call the NFL and the Texans myself

06:14because there ain't no way.

06:16Wait, what?

06:17That guy was loopy.

06:19But no, Jawar Jordan might be something.

06:21And D'Amico Ryan's actually addressed this, and I played it for you before the show.

06:25So I think just the confidence level in how physical they can be on the front

06:33and what Woody Marks is doing has kind of been off the charts.

06:35When it comes to the run game, if we want to have success, it's going to be us.

06:40It's about having that desire and that will to truly stay on your blocks,

06:45to truly trust your technique, trust the fundamentals, things you worked all offseason,

06:51all training camp, all those things you worked.

06:53You've got to put it on display, and you know the other team.

06:56Like you mentioned, the Patriots are a really good run defense,

06:59so it's never easy running the football, right?

07:03And that's what I like about it because it's not easy.

07:06It's hard.

07:07A lot of people shy away from doing hard things.

07:09But if you want to have success in the playoffs,

07:12I feel like you have to be able to control the line of scrimmage

07:14and run the football really well.

07:16So that's what we have to do versus a really good run defense,

07:19and that's what it is at this time of year.

07:21You've got two good teams going at it, and that's how it should be.

07:25Yeah, just the transformation up front reached its peak, really, I think,

07:31against the Steelers.

07:32I mean, they were just mauling fools.

07:33They took the life out of them.

07:35They tired them out.

07:38And then Woody Marks was tiring them out, and Nick Chubb,

07:40but tiring them out the way they were finishing runs.

07:44I feel very confident that they're going to be able to run the ball here.

07:46And if that very much bodes well for what this team's capability of winning it,

07:52especially because if you can get rid of those major turnovers,

07:56we know the idea of finishing, that is one of the keys to them finishing,

08:01is being able to run the football and take the life out of a team.

08:04It also kept the defense off the field.

08:05You limited possessions in that game, and you had those long 14-play drives

08:11that allowed that defense to be maximum fresh.

08:13This is important not just to the offensive side because, for one,

08:18you give yourself good third down circumstances, right?

08:22And third downs make the difference.

08:24That was the most glaring disparity in this game, in the wild card game,

08:28is that you were, what, 10 of 15 on third down, and they were 2 of 14.

08:32That was a glaring disparity in the game and what made it the blowout that it was.

08:37If you can run the ball, you give yourself thirds and shorts,

08:40like what we saw in that game.

08:42Remember, 5.5 yards was the average on third down in that game.

08:46You do that, again, you give yourself a chance to win on offense,

08:48but then you give the defense an opportunity to be maximum fresh,

08:51get themselves into those long third downs on the other side,

08:54and beat the hell out of Drake May, which I think we're all invested in.

08:56Yeah, I mean, we know why the 2 of 14 happened,

08:59because this defense was playing out of its mind.

09:02The 10 of 15 points directly to the run game and the offensive line.

09:06Ultimately, it comes back down to what you just said.

09:09You know, if C.J. Stroud can just eliminate any of the half,

09:14just do half the turnovers that you had, they'll be able to get it done.

09:17Yeah, so I think that they will be able to run the football,

09:20but ultimately, like D'Amico Ryan was saying,

09:22there's a level of want to involved with it,

09:24and I think you saw that really show up in Pittsburgh.

09:28I mean, it's not like I'm doubtful by any means,

09:30but I would love to see what they're capable of doing in that moment,

09:33and just to add a little bit of spice to the idea of the potential

09:38if the Texans run the football.

09:40You want to know what the success rate allowed is for the Patriots on third down?

09:46I think we all do.

09:4747.2%.

09:49It is the fifth worst in the NFL.

09:51If you can give yourself good, manageable third downs,

09:53you will continue drives versus the Steelers, not Steelers, this Patriots team.

09:58So run the ball and run it well.

10:00Run the damn ball.

10:01And you have an opportunity to really very much win this game.

10:03Yeah.

10:04I'm with you.

10:04All right.

10:04You're in the loop here on Sports Radio 610.

10:06Somebody said, do the Texans still have to draft a running back high?

10:09That's a good question that we'll have to talk about

10:11because I've for the while said that Woody Marks still probably profiles

10:16as like a running back too.

10:18Is he changing that narrative in your mind at all?

10:21No.

10:22Okay.

10:22All right.

10:22I just wanted to see.

10:24And look, hopefully we'll have three more games to make that decision-based offer,

10:28right?

10:29But we'll have that conversation when we get to the offseason.

10:31Right now, we're still playing playoff football, baby.

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