The Houston Texans could be getting a piece of their ground game back in time for Sunday’s matchup against the New England Patriots.
Running back Dameon Pierce was a limited participant at practice Wednesday afternoon. This has been the first time in three weeks that Pierce has taken part in contact drills after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 1’s win over the Indianapolis Colts.
#Texans running back Dameon Pierce is expected to be back for Sunday's game against the #Patriots per coach DeMeco Ryans @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 9, 2024
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said that barring a setback, Pierce will play at Gillette Stadium when the Texans take on the 1-4 Patriots.
Pierce, who missed the previous four games, returned to practice last Friday but later was ruled out before Sunday’s inactive list was released to the public. He’s expected to be the No. 2 runner behind Pro Bowler Joe Mixon, but both have been sidelined for the past three weeks with lower-body extremities.
Pierce could potentially move into a vital role in Houston’s backfield this weekend if Mixon is unavailable versus the Patriots, though he also could split reps with Dare Ogunbowale and Cam Akers. After losing starting reps last season to Devin Singletary, Pierce has been limited on the ground.
In Week 1’s win over the Colts, Pierce finished with 16 yards off three carries. The Texans still believe there’s hope he can be an essential part of the offensive game plan.
Kickoff for Week 6 is scheduled for noon CT.
