» An in-depth look at the victory over the Jaguars.
Welcome to Film Room, where we’ll break down significant portions of the Texans’ last game. Have a seat. Set the phone aside. Let’s dive in.
A diverse use of running backs: Offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and the Texans unveiled a new playbook founded on coach David Culley’s insistence on building the offense on an efficient run game. That’s why there are five running backs on Houston’s 53-man roster. We got a look at how they’ll use a cycle of various personnel packages to involve the running backs in ways that best suit their skills.
Mark Ingram said the Texans “have a vision” for all the running backs. Against the Jaguars, the Texans featured Ingram, David Johnson, Phillip Lindsay and Rex Burkhead, while Scottie Phillips, who impressed during the preseason, was made inactive. Culley said the team won’t have all five active for a game at once.
The Texans’ running backs combined for 37 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and at 3.2 yards per carry, the ground game wasn’t particularly efficient on first glance. Indeed, it’s less than the unit’s average a year ago (4.3), and the efforts the Texans took to create running lanes indicate they might struggle against better NFL defenses.
After examining the tape, we’re able to see the Texans were the most inefficient in the run game when it deployed three tight ends at once in 13 personnel (1 RB, 3 TEs, 1 WR). In Houston’s more standard personnel packages — 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WRs), 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TEs, 2 WRs) — the Texans rushed 22 times for 91 yards, a 4.1 average.
11 Personnel (8 rushes, 31 yards, 3.9 YPC)
• Lindsay: 4 rushes, 14 yards
• Johnson: 2 rushes, 8 yards
• Taylor: 1 rush, 5 yards
• Ingram: 1 rush, 4 yards
12 Personnel (14 rushes, 60 yards, 4.3 YPC)
• Ingram: 11 rushes, 49 yards
• Lindsay: 2 rushes, 4 yards
• Taylor: 1 rush, 7 yards
13 Personnel (14 rushes, 32 yards, 2.3 YPC)
• Ingram: 14 rushes, 32 yards, 1 TD* *unbalanced line, Justin McCray extra tackle on 1yard touchdown
Ingram had all 14 rush attempts in 13 personnel for 32 yards and a 2.3 yards per carry total that reflected Houston’s troubles running the ball in short-yardage situations.
Houston’s run game out of 13 personnel looks doesn’t bode well for the offense’s future. The Texans are going to run this personnel grouping frequently this season, and its usage Sunday was already more than the Texans used 13 personnel in any game last season under former coach Bill O’Brien and interim replacement Romeo Crennel. Culley called it the “best personnel on our football team offensively.”
“That’s who we are,” Culley said. “The things that our offensive staff (does) fits that personnel group more so than we’ve done in the past here. We knew going into the game that it was going to be a big part of what we do. And that’s not going to change. That’s who we are. That’s our comfort level with that. We’ll continue to change personnels and get a variety of groups in there. But when it gets down to the nittygritty, you’re going to see us in that group because that’s the best personnel on our football team offensively.”
General manager Nick Caserio elevated Antony Auclair from the practice squad to aid in run blocking, and he platooned with Pharaoh Brown and Jordan Akins to provide extra lead blocking. Rookie tight end Brevin Jordan was made inactive, and Culley said Auclair “was more ready to do what we need him to do” than Jordan, who Culley added “is progressing very, very well with what we are.”
As we dive into the 13 personnel shortcomings, there’s something to keep in mind: The Texans often deployed this package because they were in shortyardage situations, so the potential gains were going to be inherently minimal.
Still, on early downs (first or second) that weren’t goal-line situations, Ingram had eight rushes for 25 yards — a 3.1-yard average that included two 6-yard runs and a 5-yard run. The Texans used the package as a drive starter in the first quarter (pictured below), when Brown, Akins and Auclair bunched to the right side and cracked open a hole that enabled a 6-yard Ingram run.
The more troubling problems arrived in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Ingram had five carries for 4 yards. Sometimes all three tight ends were bunched on one side, like the previous play example. But in others, such as a first-and-goal situation at the Jaguars’ 7 right before halftime (pictured below), Brown would start out split wide and motion into the backfield as a lead blocker. On this play, it appears linebacker Myles Jack (circled) sniffs this play out quickly. He charges in unblocked behind Brown and pulling guard Tytus Howard (dark arrow) and drags Ingram down for no gain.
It’s going to be essential for the Texans to be more effective running the ball in 13 personnel to allow Kelly, a former tight ends coach, to use the other options the team can deploy using the same package. The Texans next play Sunday at Cleveland, whose defense largely stifled a dynamic Chiefs offense in a narrow 33-29 loss in which Kansas City star running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire gained only 43 yards on 14 rush attempts. When the Texans run the ball well in 13 personnel, it forces a defense to adjust, placing more defenders in the box and creating favorable one-on-one matchups for a dynamic receiver like Brandin Cooks.
Here in the second quarter (pictured to the right), the Jaguars stacked the box with eight defenders against the 13 personnel package, leaving Cooks one-on-one with cornerback Shaquill Griffin, who signed with Jacksonville last year after spending four seasons with the Seahawks. Taylor unfurls a deep pass down the left sideline, connecting with Cooks on a 24-yard gain that eventually leads to a Texans field goal.
Taylor’s skills as a passer suit him best when the Texans establish a run game. That’s how he thrived in a run-heavy scheme under offensive coordinator Greg Roman in Buffalo, where Taylor was voted to his only Pro Bowl. Culley coached with Roman the past two seasons in Baltimore, where Lamar Jackson won an MVP as a dual-threat option who could exploit the secondary while defenses played the run.
On the very next play, Johnson and Burkhead shifted to the backfield. Collins (light circle) was again matched up with Griffin (dark circle) and took him upfield on a vertical route. Taylor runs a zone-read play-action with Burkhead, whose run fake created open space in the right flat for Johnson. An easy pitch and catch resulted in a 9-yard gain and a favorable second-and-1.
That brings us back to the 13 personnel issues: Houston subbed Ingram in on the next two plays, and he was twice stuffed for no gain.
Kelly had some tricky plays in place using two-back sets to manufacture effective runs in key spots.
On the second drive of the game, the Texans deployed a package in which Johnson was in the backfield while Lindsay started out in the slot and motioned across the backfield. It was an apparent jet sweep, but Taylor handed the ball to Johnson for a 2-yard gain. They deployed the same look later in the drive (pictured below) on first-and-goal at the Jags’ 2, and Lindsay bobbled a forward pitch (circled) from Taylor that was ruled an incomplete pass.
The bobble was rectified in the third quarter. This time, Ingram lined up at QB in a Wildcat formation on first-and-goal at the Jaguars’ 5. Taylor was split wide to the right sideline. Lindsay motioned in from the right slot for a zone-read handoff he took 5 yards for the Texans’ final TD. Ingram said he saw Jags defensive end Jihad Ward crash toward him, a read that required Ingram to hand the ball off to Lindsay.
“I’m glad that my play at quarterback was successful,” Ingram said. “So hopefully we’ll be able to expand on that package.”
If the Texans continue to struggle in short yardage in 13 personnel, it’s likely they’ll have to.