HOUSTON – Nick Chubb saw daylight. He busted through a large hole at the line of scrimmage, a pathway opened by right guard Ed Ingram and right tackle Blake Fisher and left guard Laken Tomlinson.
It was a textbook running play and an encouraging moment for the former Pro Bowl running back looking to regain his old form before injuries with the Cleveland Browns derailed his career. Chubb rushed for 25 yards on five carries during the Texans’ 20-3 preseason victory Saturday over the Carolina Panthers at NRG Stadium.
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Between Chubb displaying a burst and his trademark ability to break tackles and maintain balance after contact and the offensive line creating enough time for quarterback C.J. Stroud to operate in a clean pocket, the offensive line had an encouraging game. While the line had a lot of tough moments in training camp trying to block Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, the first two preseason games might be more reflective of their abilities as a group with practice simply overwhelming at times against an elite defense.
“Chubb did a really nice job playing physical, running behind his pads,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I just like the way the whole team played a physical brand of football, the type of football I expect us to play and I’m really proud of the guys for that. Just really, really proud of the offensive line again. I think this is the second week in a row now that they’re just improving, they’re getting better.
“We were able to run the football. Again, Chubb did a really nice job playing physical, running behind his pads. I just like the way the whole team played a physical brand of football, the type of football I expect us to play and I’m really proud of the guys for that.”
The story of Chubb’s comeback from a broken foot last year in Cleveland ending his season and his tenure with the Browns two years after a gruesome knee injury resonate throughout the locker room.
Chubb is serving notice that he’s working his way back in an offense orchestrated by new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, who called plays from the sidelines after working out of the coaches’ booth last week against the Minnesota Vikings.
“I thought it went good,” Chubb said. “I think as a whole, the whole team played well. Offensively, the big guys up front did a good job getting push, opening up holes. For me, I haven’t played since December, so a lot of anxiety, a lot a nerves, but it felt good to go out and get tackled again.
“One of the best things I do is break tackles in the practice. I mean he’s pretty much tagged, so I mean I think the game allows you to kind of be more of yourself."
Among the things the team is working through is a lingering foot-ankle injury for Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon, suffered away from the Texans with him progressing from a walking boot, to wearing a brace to having increased mobility over the summer to, now, still being out indefinitely while rehabbing and navigating a somewhat complicated medical issue. He remains on the non-football injury list and may start the season there, barring major progress in the next few weeks.
Mixon is not considered a lock to be ready for the season-opener against the Los Angeles Rams, per league sources. The Texans will take their time with managing his recovery and will not rush him back onto the field after missing the entire offseason and the majority of training camp so far. Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley can lean on Chubb, Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale and Woody Marks in his absence in something of a committee approach to the running game.
“It was awesome," said Tomlinson, a former Pro Bowl selection. all of our running backs are running hard and physical, man. That’s the thing where Coach Nick has an emphasis on guys being physical. That’s what we’re talking about, moving guys up front."
Marks, a rookie from USC, rushed for 40 yards on seven carries.
“I thought Woody definitely shined today,” Ryans said. “I talk about playing a physical brand of football, Woody did that. Running through four defenders, three defenders at times, still falling forward. That’s what I expect from our backs and he did a really nice job of that.”
The Texans’ line, playing without left tackle Cam Robinson due to a leg injury and right tackle Tytus Howard after he got dinged a bit in practice this week, was comprised of rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery, Tomlinson, center Jake Andrews, Ingram at right guard and Fisher at right tackle.
One week ago against the Minnesota Vikings, Fisher allowed six quarterback pressures and a half-sack. Against the Panthers, he allowed zero quarterback pressures. And there were no false starts after he was prone to them in camp and had one against Minnesota. An overhauled line coached by offensive line coach-run game coordinator Cole Popovich is improving.
“I think our O-line has done a great job,” said Stroud, who was sacked once on a coverage sack and threw a touchdown pass to Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins. " We’re a run the ball team first that wants to establish the run. I think we brought in guys who are tough, that like to run the ball. That’s first and foremost.
“The communication, I think Cole Popovich, he’s done a great job with those guys, coaching them tough, training them tough at practice, getting those guys ready for every day. Because up there, you’ve got to be really gritty, want to grind, want it dirty, want it the worst way. I think this line wants that. I think he’s done a great job, him and Nick [Caley] have done a great job making our plays fit our scheme and like what the guys are good at.”
Drafting Ersery, a former Big Ten Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year, has added size and talent to the line. The 6-foot-6, 331-pounder is doing a nice job of opening holes in the running game and protecting Stroud.
“I think ‘Tae’ has one of the best mindsets I’ve seen from a rookie in my couple years in the league,” Stroud said. “He texted me the night he got drafted. I texted him and I was like, ‘Hey, excited to have you on the team,’ and he said ‘I’m going to die on the O-line for you. I’m going to die out there.’ I was like, ‘all right. I appreciate you saying that.’
“That’s just his mindset. He wants to be great. He asks the questions. Going against Will and Danielle every day makes him really good. When he faces other guys, it’s kind of easy, but he still keeps up the same tenacity and that same work ethic. Very mature guy, loves football, loves his teammates, and I think he’s going to be great in this league.”
A year ago, Stroud was sacked 52 times during the regular season.
He was sacked eight times and hit 14 times overall during a playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Texans traded five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders, largely for financial reasons.
The reset of the line has been a dramatic change for the Texans’ offense.
“The thing I’m seeing from the offensive line is that they’re playing together,” Ryans said. “That’s the main thing. They’re playing together. They’re communicating well. They’re picking up the pressures and stunts really well. They’re playing as one. They’re resetting the line of scrimmage.
“The physical play I talk about when we have a double-team, like to see the offensive line actually displace the defensive line and we’re able to run the ball without having negative plays. I’m seeing that consistently. There are not many mishaps on the offensive line. So, it’s just consistent play, giving us a chance to get the play started and a chance to have productive plays because everything starts up front.”
The improved play of the line two weeks in a row is a positive sign overall.
As a team, the Texans rushed for 109 yards and averaged 4.1 yards per carry.
“I thought it went really well,” Tomlinson said. “I mean, on the offensive line standpoint, you know, we’re moving guys off the ball. Any time you rush for over 100, usually a good day for the offensive line. So I thought we were really good communication-wise as well, just making our points and everything. So I think it went great. As offensive linemen, we just gotta block as long as we can. I mean that’s our job, so that’s all we were really cared about.”
As a four-time Pro Bowl selection in Cleveland, Chubb was absolutely prolific. He ranks third all-time in Browns franchise history behind Hall of Fame backs Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.
Now that Chubb is healthy again and playing for the Texans under a one-year, $5 million maximum value deal, he’s looking for that speed and twitchiness that defined his game as a breakaway threat for the Browns. Getting back to making special runs was elusive in camp until recently, in part due to the Texans’ aggressive, fast defense cutting off running lanes before Chubb can break free. This was a step in the right direction in the Caley offense, which began the game in 12 personnel with two tight ends in Dalton Schultz and Cade Stover.
“I think it went good,” Chubb said. “I think Nick does a great job of calling the plays. CJ getting us all lined up in an execution, I talk to Nick all the time. He understands that running the ball opens up everything. He’s a young coach and it’s impressive that he understands how important it is to be physical up front before anything else."
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com