A special 1K for Hyde
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The patience of Texans running back Carlos Hyde — and the faith of his fourth NFL employer in a calendar year — paid dividends Sunday.
During a 10-yard touchdown run, Hyde bounced outside to his left as he read a key block on safety Kenny Vacarro from pulling tackle Chris Clark to create a pathway. The score broke a tie game and put the Texans ahead for good in the fourth quarter of a 24-21 victory at Nissan Stadium.
It was a pivotal play for the Texans and a microcosm of Hyde’s performance as he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career. Using a punishing style, Hyde rushed for 104 yards on 26 carries. He has a career-high 1,030 yards for the season.
“Just being patient right there, not rushing anything,” Hyde said. “I had a similar run earlier, and I went to the sideline and told myself, ‘Be patient.’ ”
Acquired in a trade from the Chiefs, Hyde keeps a large chip on his shoulder. Over the past year, he has been traded from the Chiefs and Browns and cut by the Jaguars.
Now, Hyde is the fifth player in Texans history to rush for 1,000 yards. He joins Arian Foster, Domanick Williams, Steve Slaton and Lamar Miller.
“It’s huge to go for 1K for the first time,” Hyde said. “It’s been a long journey for me. And to come back and have a big year like I’m having now is huge. I’ve got to give thanks to my offensive line, though. I wouldn’t have 1,000 yards without those guys.”
The block by Clark helped Hyde have enough breathing room to reach the end zone.
“A great block,” Hyde said. “In the huddle, I was asking, ‘Who’s the puller?’ He had a great block for me, and he made it easy for me.”
This marked Hyde’s third 100yard game of the season. The touchdown was his fifth since he joined the Texans.
“He had to get to 1,000 yards,” Clark said. “That’s big for us as a line. When you get to 1,000 yards, that speaks volumes. We take pride in the fact that we are able to do that. It’s awesome for us.”
The way Hyde runs isn’t subtle. The 6-foot, 230-pounder has a bruising, punishing style.
“You guys see how he runs,” center Nick Martin said. “Not one person ever stops him. He always falls forward. That’s a big milestone for his career. That’s a testament to him, and we take pride in that as well.”