When Joe Mixon starts and finishes a Texans game, he runs for 100 yards.
The veteran running back, who signed as a free agent with Houston this offseason, rumbled for a 102 yards and a score on 25 carries.
He's started, and played through, four games in 2024. Mixon started a fifth game, in Week 2 against the Bears, but was injured in it, and wound up missing the next two contests.
On Sunday in the 23-20 triumph over the Colts at NRG Stadium, he also caught four passes for 32 yards. Mixon was again, according to Head Coach DeMeco Ryans, a key contributor to the victory.
"Joe, again over 100 yards," Ryans said. "Joe showed up big time for us when we needed him most, making plays."
Mixon's touchdown run tied the game up, 10-10, with 10:04 left in the second quarter. On that scoring play, he started right, cut left, evaded some would-be tacklers and bowled over another on his way into the end zone.
"Sometimes, you're going to have to be speed," Mixon said. "Sometimes you're going to have to be power. Sometimes you're going to have to be elusive. I've been blessed enough and fortunate enough to be able to do it all."
He did it all on that scoring play, and finished with four other runs that went for 10 yards or longer.
"At the end of the day I just to do whatever I can within the run scheme and also be in sync with our linemen," Mixon said. "I also try do whatever I can to make their block right. We just take a lot of pride in being on the same page, and it's been taking us a long way."
Mixon rang up 136 yards from scrimmage on Sunday, and he entered the game ranked third in the NFL with an average 123.6 yards per contest.
He and the Texans will face the New York Jets on the road this Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.
