Texans will have even less talent than ever against KC Chiefs

The Houston Texans just lost promising running back Dameon Pierce to injury just before facing the Kansas City Chiefs.

It’s been a very long season for the Houston Texans in 2022, but that was to be expected given the state of the franchise. Recent leadership changes, the lack of impact talent on both sides of the ball, and the trade of Deshaun Watson had left the Texans in a clear rebuild, a mode that made opponents salivate at the thought of playing them during the regular season.

The Texans’ next opponent on the schedule is a model of success in the Kansas City Chiefs, but as it turns out, somehow Houston will have even less talent on hand when they host K.C. in Week 15.

On Tuesday, Texans beat reporter Mark Berman posted the news that Texans rookie running back Dameon Pierce, one of a few highlights in this miserable season, is dealing with a high ankle sprain. It’s the sort of injury that will keep him out in Week 15 and could cause him to miss as many as three games (with only four games left).

The Texans have to love what they’ve seen out of Pierce this season, especially since he’s on the cusp of eclipsing that 1,000-yard target on the ground. Pierce has 220 rushes for 939 yards and 4 touchdowns this season for Houston after being selected in the fourth round in the 2022 NFL Draft out of the University of Florida.  Pierce also has 30 catches for another 165 receiving yards.

This means that a Texans offense that already ranks as the league’s third-worst team in total points scored and second-worst in yardage gained is without their best running threat. Rex Burkhead and Dare Ogunbowale are the only backs on the roster after Houston also released Eno Benjamin. It’s likely another move is coming to bolster the position before the Chiefs get to town.

All of this means more pressure rests on the shoulders of Davis Mills to generate points with the likes of Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins, and Chris Moore as his primary targets. The Chiefs were already heavily favored in the game, but things look even more unbalanced now. Sunday could be the sort of get-right game that instills some swagger back in the Chiefs after a shaky performance on the road at Denver.