The Houston Texans have a lot of positives to look back on for the way their 2025 season unraveled.
Especially on the defensive side of the ball, the Texans were able to stand out amongst the rest of the league in several key areas. Their run defense was stout, their secondary was lock-down, and everyone knows how strong their pass rush was.
But their offense has to take some steps forward in 2026; particularly their run game, which stumbled last season without the presence of Joe Mixon , combined with a rocky offensive line performance in terms of run blocking.
And really, there's one stat where the Texans' run game really reared its ugly head compared to other numbers that has to see a big jump in 2026 for their production to really turn around: their yards per attempt.
The Texans' 2025 run game, led by Woody Marks and Nick Chubb didn't shine as one of the best units in the league by really any measure, but especially not when it came to rushing yards per attempt.
The Texans ran for a brutal 3.9 yards per attempt last season, putting them within the bottom four teams in the NFL for that stat at 29th out of 32.
The only teams to rank lower? The San Francisco 49ers (3.8), the New Orleans Saints (3.7), and the Las Vegas Raiders , who round out the bottom of the league with an abysmal 3.6 yards per carry.
Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) carries the ball in the first half against the New England Patriots in an AFC Divisional Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
That's not a great company for the Texans to be a part of, but the reasons for why they are are pretty clear: their offensive line was poor, their lead running back from last season was injured for the entire year, and their options behind him weren't truly equipped to run a highly effective rushing offense.
Marks did solid given the circumstances as a fourth-round rookie, but Chubb was largely uninspiring, and could have just played his final season in the NFL.
It wasn't for a lack of trying to run the ball, as the Texans ranked 14th in the NFL for total rushing attempts. They just weren't very good at it. And now, they'll be looking to flip the script when it comes to their effectiveness on the ground, that could inevitably raise the floor of this offense altogether.
The Texans spent a great deal of resources this offseason trying to not only reshape several pieces around their offense, but also provide themselves with the right personnel to create a strong run game.
The biggest of those decisions to do so was by trading for David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions , who, if able to bounce back from a low-usage, low-production year in the Motor City, will be an awesome asset for the Texans to have.
But the Texans' improvements on the ground go beyond Montgomery's presence, considering they also made several additions to the offensive line who are known to be maulers in the run game, and should provide a positive influence in that regard.
Braden Smith is known to be a great run blocker, as is Wyatt Teller , and Keylan Rutledge, the Texans' first-round pick, has all of the tools to develop into one as he continues to adjust in his role at the NFL level.
Someone like Ed Ingram can't be forgotten as well, who ranked within the top 10 of eligible guards for a run-blocking grade via PFF in 2025.
Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans guard Ed Ingram arrives for the team's minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
So there are reasons to hold belief in the Texans' run game much more than there was when entering the 2025 season. They have more talent (and are healthy) in the running back room, and the offensive linemen in front of them appear wired to be better in that area than last year's group was.
If Montgomery can hold up as the lead back for an NFL offense at age 29, while Marks can deliver as a complementary back who can still be an explosive playmaker in certain situations, Houston's efficiency on the ground should go up as a result.
And if so, that'll benefit everyone involved on that side of the ball, including C.J. Stroud , who will be able to open up his game more with play action and on early downs. And if Houston's quarterback can be firing on all cylinders, the ceiling for how high this Texans offense might be is dangerous.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/texans/onsi as One Texans Stat Must Improve Dramatically in 2026 .
