It’s one thing to say you want a tougher run game. It’s another to put a standard on tape and then, right after the final whistle, say exactly what that standard looks like. After humbling the Panthers 20-3, DeMeco Ryans’ tone did more than grade a preseason performance; it drew a firm line for 2025.
DeMeco Ryans wasn’t shy about his expectations from the RB room for the season. “I thought Woody shined today, running through 4 defenders, 3 defenders at times, still falling forward. That’s what I expect from our backs,” he said. Yeah, setting the rookie as the standard? That’s peculiar.
This RB room? Yeah, it’s packed. And it’s competitive. The Texans went out and grabbed four-time Pro Bowler Nick Chubb on a one-year deal this summer. That move says it all: they want some real downhill bite next to Joe Mixon once he’s back to full speed.
DeMeco Ryans on Woody Marks (who rushed 7 times for 40 yards, 5.7 ypc, GREAT day):
“Definitely shined today.. running through 4 defenders, 3 defenders at times, still falling forward.”
Highlights RB pass pro too including Jawhar Jordan. pic.twitter.com/0uo82C9aQv
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) August 16, 2025
Context matters. Joe Mixon, the guy who fits Ryans’ expectations like a glove, started camp on the non-football injury list with a foot issue. That’s opened the door for other backs to get real live reps while he ramps up. The good part? ESPN’s roster still lists him as NFI-A (Non-Football Injury (Active)) heading into August, and multiple reports have backed up that timeline.
Even with Mixon on song last year, DeMeco Ryans isn’t acting like the Texans’ run game has “arrived.” Sure, Mixon broke a long drought with 1,016 yards and 11 TDs in 2024 (the first Texans RB to crack 1,000 since Carlos Hyde back in 2019). But he wants more. Houston put up 1,909 rushing yards at 4.4 a pop. Solid numbers, no doubt. But not exactly the kind of ground game that buries people. That’s why DeMeco keeps hammering on finish and physicality.
Oh, and there’s a new voice driving this mission. Nick Caley stepped in as offensive coordinator this offseason, taking over for Bobby Slowik. It’s a clear message: they want the run game’s identity sharper, cleaner, more downhill. No flashy playbook fireworks here. It’s about what DeMeco spelled out: pads square, legs driving, and “falling forward.”
And no, this message isn’t just for the big names. Behind Mixon and Chubb, you’ve still got Dameon Pierce. Then there’s rookie Woody Marks out of USC, drafted with one clear job: grind out those tough yards and keep the chains moving when things get messy. And that’s what he’s doing so far.
Did Woody Marks outshine Nick Chubb vs Panthers?
The Texans vs Panthers preseason game showed us a lot of things. But the most important takeaway might’ve been Woody Marks’ quality. And on a night where vets were on snap counts, it was the rookie who made the clearest case.
He led the Texans on the ground: carries, 40 yards, 5.7 a pop with a long of 12. Right there with him, Nick Chubb got 5 carries for 25 yards (5.0 per) and a long of 9. On paper, both averages work. But when you’re talking about carving out pecking-order reps, the rookie’s night might’ve outshone Chubb’s.
CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 24: Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb 24 on the field prior to the National Football League game between the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns on December 24, 2022, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, OH. Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA DEC 24 Saints at Browns Icon221224009
And that one snap said it all. Mark’s 12-yard rumble. He took contact, kept his balance, and yep, finished by “falling forward” just like DeMeco’s been preaching. It even made the team’s highlight reel because it looked exactly like what DeMeco Ryans described. And when it came to finishing drives, no need to get fancy. He slammed in the short TD that really set the ground-game tone for the night.
And this isn’t a shade at Chubb. The vet is coming off a tough two-year stretch in Cleveland. Just 332 yards at 3.3 a carry over eight games last season before landing in Houston on that one-year prove-it deal. However, if the standard is really as simple as DeMeco laid it out, the rookie was the first one to put it on tape for 2025.
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