Once again, Dameon Pierce put on a show.
The rookie running back rumbled for a career-high 139 yards on 27 carries in the 29-17 loss to the Eagles. It was the fifth time he's logged over 100 yards from scrimmage this season, and the second game in which he's cracked the century mark in rushing. Pierce leads all rookies in rushing yards on the season with 678, and he's sixth overall in the NFL.
"He is hard to stop," Texans Head Coach Lovie Smith said. "I wouldn't want to be a defensive back with him having a full head of steam running downhill. When I say just continuing to go, keeping his legs moving, moving the pile. What we want to be, a running football team. Physical running attack. Our tailback kind of says it all in what we would like to be."
As a team, the Texans were able to grind out 168 yards on the ground at a 5.3 yards per carry clip. Pierce, Smith and several other Texans credited the offensive line for allowing the run game to flourish.
"They all played strong up front, and allowed me to be decisive and quick when it came to my reads," Pierce said. "We were just rolling today in the run game."
Wide Receiver Chris Moore, who caught a second quarter touchdown pass, and finished with four catches for 43 yards, lit up when asked about the rookie.
"We love Pierce," Moore said. "Our O-linemen, they start it off and they get it going. If they get it going, he can run all day and people don't want to tackle him."
Pierce was responsible for the longest play of the night. In the second quarter, with the Texans facing a 1st-and-10 at their own 37-yard line, Pierce took a handoff and went right through a nice hole. When he looked up, he saw Left Tackle Laremy Tunsil and a lot of green grass.
"Any time I've got L.T. in front of me, and I'm not touched for the first five, we've got a good play going," Pierce said. "Shoutout to 'Ake (Tight End Jordan Akins). Ake kind of sprung that play off with a good perimeter block and I just got vertical."
Pierce broke three tackles and wound up with a 36-yard gain. It moved the Houston offense to the Eagles' 27-yard line, and the Texans found the end zone three plays later when Moore caught a 13-yarder from Quarterback Davis Mills.
Pierce added two more double-digit yardage runs, with an 11-yarder and 10-yarder. He's joined Arian Foster and Carlos Hyde as the only players in franchise history to rush for 650 yards or more through the first nine weeks of a season.
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