On August 13th, 2022 a star was born. Houston Texans rookie Dameon Pierce performed so well against the New Orleans Saints that the coaching staff decided they had seen enough, and pulled him from the game. This was after being given just five carries, which he turned into 49 yards. It didn’t stop there. The next week Pierce was given the night off, a treatment normally reserved for veterans and starters. It seemed the rookie fourth round draft pick had the starting job already locked up.
In last night’s preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, though, the Texans played their starers on offense. This gave Pierce another chance to show that his performance wasn’t a fluke. Whelp, he did! He ran for over six yards per carry on the team’s first drive, capping it with a one-yard plunge into the end zone for his first NFL touchdown. He would be pulled from the game once again. Backups (is it safe to call them backups now?) Rex Burkhead and Marlon Mack carried the running back load for most of the rest of the game, but neither had the same impact as Pierce.
Could Dameon Pierce Beat the Odds?
The outlook for the rest of the team is more dismal, unfortunately. Oddsmakers have the Houston Texans winning maybe five games this season. They open as a full touchdown underdog against the division rival Indianapolis Colts. However, led by the rising Pierce and a defense that just performed well against the 49ers’ Trey Lance and company, the Texans may find themselves over that win total sooner rather than later.
For now, Texans fans have something to look forward to. Dameon Pierce is a decisive, powerful runner who energizes a team and fanbase that need something to cheer for. The only downside, if you were looking to quietly stash him on your fantasy team, forget about it! The rookie is likely to be taken well before double digit rounds now!