The Texans came away with a pretty nice haul in the 2022 Draft. In the first round they landed a stud cornerback in Derek Stingley and a talented offensive lineman in Kenyon Green. Through five games though it has been a fourth-round rookie making the headlines in Houston. Former Florida Gator Dameon Pierce has exploded out of the gate and has taken over the Texans’ backfield.
Through five games he has 413 yards on his 86 carries, with an astonishing 87% of that coming after contact. He has also featured as part of the Texans’ passing game, with his 13 receptions ranking second amongst rookie backs, behind only Breece Hall.
All of this is hugely encouraging for the Texans who are in need of young and talented building blocks. So, what is it that makes Pierce such a great runner? And why should Houston fans be excited for the future? Let’s dive into Pierce’s Week 5 film against the Jaguars to find out.
Vision
Perhaps the biggest thing that stands out when you watch Pierce’s tape is his vision. This was something that he showed in flashes at Florida, and he is getting the chance to show it now on the biggest of stages. His ability to quickly read and process the picture in front of him belies his inexperience and it isn’t something you will find in many rookies.
This play from early in the first quarter encapsulates that point. The Texans are running outside zone, but the play is seemingly doomed to failure from the start. The center whiffs his block on nose tackle DaVon Hamilton (#52) as he tries to climb to the second level. This gives Hamilton a free run at Pierce for an almost certain tackle for loss.
Notice how quickly Pierce recognises this, as well as the outstanding quickness and cutting ability he demonstrates on this play. He plants his outside leg and sharply cuts the run back inside where he has the space to operate. This might only have been a modest gain on the stat sheet, but Pierce’s vision and quick footwork turned a win for the defense into a gain for the offense.
We get another taste of Pierce’s vision on this play. This came later in the first quarter, and you once again see how he manufactures his own yardage. The Texans are running Duo, a staple gap scheme concept that asks offensive linemen to double team the defensive line. The running back is then asked to read the flow of the linebackers. As soon as Pierce gets the ball you see him identify the backside C gap as a potential running lane. The problem is that Foyesade Oluokun (#23) has it covered and is waiting to make the play on Pierce.
What Pierce does next is outstanding. Notice how he sharpens his cut, almost making it look like he is going to bounce the run outside. This forces Oluokun to briefly reverse his flow back to the left, by which point Pierce has him exactly where he wants him. He once again shows off his outstanding cutting ability, breaking the run back inside and springing free for a big gain. He then shows great effort to churn through contact and maximise the gain.
It is fair to say that the Texans’ run blocking has often been less than ideal, but Pierce shows the ability to overcome that and create something out of nothing. On this next play the Jaguars once again win the trench battle. You will notice that once Pierce gets the handoff, the Jaguars are in control of all of the gaps in front of him. The one potential avenue he has is the backside C gap, which has been left wide open.
Pierce shows great patience at this point, with a nice little stutter step to freeze the linebackers just long enough to allow him to make the cut back and get out into the open. He then gets to show off another strength of his game in the form of his short area quickness. Whilst Pierce is a bigger back, he does have the quicks to rip off big gains and came away from this one with 17 yards.
Contact Balance
Pierce’s vision is the foundation of his runs. What turns these runs from good gains into great ones is his contact balance. This should come as no surprise to anyone that watched him at Florida. Pierce actually led all draft-eligible running backs in 2022 in Forced Missed Tackles Over Expected (FMTOE) with a score of 1.74. The only back to better that mark in the last two seasons was Javonte Williams.
It shows up nicely on this play. Here the Texans are running Iso. Iso runs are a staple of almost every offense in football. At their core, they involve the running back following a lead blocker (in this case a fullback) through a pre-determined hole. On this run things don’t quite go as planned. The fullback doesn’t create any real knockback on their block, forcing Pierce to create on his own.
He delivers on that and more. Pierce has this habit of pinballing through contact and shows great competitiveness to keep his legs churning. At one point on this run he has three defenders draped over him and they are still struggling to bring him down. This might not be the biggest run, but it is the kind of thing that will wear down opposing defenses and test their physicality.
This next play is no doubt familiar, as it was all over the internet after Sunday’s game. This run came late in the fourth quarter, with the score tied at 6-6. The Texans are running Power, with the backside guard pulling and wide receiver Tyler Johnson (#14) acting as a lead blocker. You can see that the two of them are looking to wall off their respective defenders and create a wide-open lane for Pierce. It might not come as a surprise at this point, but neither were successful, and the hole closed fast.
This doesn’t stop Pierce. He manages to pinball off the first would-be tackler and finds the hole to his right. He then goes on to have one of the best runs you will see all season. His outstanding toughness and contact balance are on full display as he bowls through six defenders before being brought down just shy of the goal line. Make no mistake – there are very few running backs in the NFL capable of executing a run like this. Pierce finished the game with 17 forced missed tackles, the highest single game total since charting began in 2006.
Third downs
If you haven’t watched much of Pierce, you might just think he’s a traditional downhill bruiser back. At 5’10” and 218 lbs he certainly fits the profile but suggesting that would do his game a real disservice. Pierce has consistently shown that he can be an impact player on third downs. He is a solid receiver and a stout pass blocker, which is a tough combination to find in a rookie. This gives him the potential to develop into a genuine three-down back in the NFL.
This play is a nice example of that receiving ability. The play itself isn’t anything particularly special. The Texans have called a fairly standard running back screen, with Pierce releasing behind his lead blockers. He shows good hands in adjusting to less-than-ideal ball placement. His ability to then quickly turn upfield and get north is impressive and allows him to pick up the first down before any defenders get to him.
Perhaps my favourite of his third down reps in this game wasn’t a reception. Instead, it was a brilliant example of Pierce’s toughness and technique as a pass blocker. This play came on a 3rd and 2 in the fourth quarter as part of their game-winning 12-play drive. The Jaguars’ defense gets aggressive, sending a six-man pressure with linebacker Devin Lloyd (#33) running straight down the middle of the offensive line.
Pierce’s job on this play is to pick up any second level defenders like Lloyd and protect his quarterback. He does that to perfection. He quickly recognises Lloyd coming through the A gap and redirects. Pierce sets a wide base and gets low and under the pads of his opponent, withstanding the initial contact. This gives Davis Mills just enough time to get the throw off for a first down. Pierce’s willingness and effectiveness in pass protection helped to keep this drive alive and the importance of that can’t be overstated.
This is a Texans team deep into rebuilding mode, but in Pierce they have a talented building block for the future of their franchise. The NFL might be moving away from the traditional bell-cow back model but having a back who can do it all when needed helps an offensive in a multitude of ways. Pierce is that back. It should come as no surprise that he is the frontrunner for Offensive Rookie of the Year this season. He has everything he needs to be one of the game’s next great running backs.
