Dameon Pierce and Joe Mixon can be ‘one-two’ in Houston

In 2023, Pierce struggled under offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s offense. Pierce started the first seven games of the season, but suffered an ankle injury that left him inactive for three games. When Pierce returned to action, he fell down the depth chart as Devin Singletary emerged and remained the starter for the remainder of the season.

Pierce finished his sophomore season with 145 carries for 416 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 14 games.

Ryans hopes Mixon’s style of play will be a good fit for the Texans, and with Singletary heading to the New York Giants in free agency, adding a veteran like Mixon made sense. Mixon is coming off a 1,000-yard rushing season, and Ryans views Pierce as a perfect back next to the former Bengal. Since 2021, Mixon has thrown 29 rushing touchdowns, which ranks third among RBs over that span, according to NFL Research.

As Pierce enters his second season under Slowik’s offense, Houston is hoping the extra reps in practice will pay dividends heading into training camp. With OTAs wrapping up at the end of May, Ryans is confident Pierce can create a dynamic “one-two punch” with Mixon for the 2024 season.