The 6-0, 229-pound back has led the Texans in rushing in two consecutive weeks. After averaging 8.3 yards per carry in his Texans debut at New Orleans, Hyde followed up with 90-yard rushing performance on 20 carries in Week 2 against Jacksonville.

"He gets his pads down, he runs behind his pads, he does," head coach Bill O'Brien said. "He's a strong runner."

Hyde has found early success in Houston after brief stints with Cleveland, Jacksonville and Kansas City in the last year. The sixth-year back is coming off a 2018 season where he recorded his fewest carries and lowest rushing yardage, after seeing action in eight games with two different teams.

He isn't surprised by his early success this year. Even though Hyde arrived in Houston just over one week before the regular season opener on Sept. 9, he had been working. And waiting patiently for his opportunity.

"I'm hungry," Hyde said. "I'm out there on a mission. I've got a chip on my shoulder coming in this year. So I'm running angry, running mad, and it's been paying off for me."

Hyde says that chip is growing, but so is his enthusiasm for part in the Texans offense. With Lamar Miller on injured reserve, the Texans traded for Hyde on Aug. 31. So far, Hyde has been primarily used in the run game and is averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

"I love it because it's downhill," Hyde said. "I get my shoulders square and get to go downhill and get to fall forward. That's part of my game. I'm a big back and I get my
shoulders squared up and go downhill. It's a lot easier for me to break tackles and stuff like that."

Hyde currently ranks third in the AFC and fifth in the NFL with 173 rushing yards on 30 carries through two weeks.