We’ve been hearing it over and over for the last 2 years: the Texans want to play hat-on-hat, smash-mouth football. An aggressive, “establish the run” sort of offense that the Erhardt-Perkins offensive scheme flourishes with, when done properly.
Unfortunately, offensive coordinator Nick Caley and offensive line coach/run game coordinator Cole Popovich have been unable to pull this rabbit out of their (un)imaginary hat.
Last year, it was easy to point the finger at the mysterious injury/illness/medical
foot condition of running back Joe Mixon. To rectify this in the off-season, general manager Nick Caserio traded for former Detroit Lion RB2 David Montgomery, who was promptly injured.
Now, it all seems to fall on Woody Marks and a jumbo-package of basic run plays that wouldn’t fool the local High School defense, much less an NFL one. Marks is a great runner, but not a one-man Houston Texans running back depth chart.
Despite mountains of evidence to make a case that the coaching is largely to blame, both in what the coaches are teaching the players and what plays Caley is calling, head coach Demeco Ryans seems to think the players are at fault, 100%.
Well, if it’s a player problem, then here’s a player solution:
While Derrick Henry might be 33 and nearing the end of the road, he still has plenty of gas in the tank. And, on a team with Woody Marks and C.J. Stroud, he wouldn’t have to carry the entire load like he’s currently expected to do with the Baltimore Ravens. An aging lion is still lethal and threatening. Even if only the threat of him is enough to make opposing defenses fear the run some of the time.
So far in 2026, Henry has carried the ball 158 times for 632 yards at a 4.0 yard per carry average. He’s also caught 12 of 14 passes for 75 yards. All this has added 9 touchdowns to the Ravens 2026 totals. Enough to put him in 7th place in the current running back Top 10. Meaning, an aging Henry is still better than most of the running backs in the NFL.
9 more touchdowns on the Texans season moves them to 5-2, if not 6-1.
While other teams, such as the New York Giants, might go hard in the paint to get Henry, the Texans are at make-or-break time for the current regime. We’ve already gone over, ad nauseum, how bad Caserio, Ryans, Caley, defensive coordinator Matt Burke and Popovich have squandered the off-season hype and fan goodwill. Continuing down the current path of failure leads to the McNair’s having no choice but to fire some or all of them.
Often in these situations, embattled GMs and coaches will make Hail Mary trades to attempt to salvage a make or break, one player away season. With Caserio’s history of trade wheeling and dealing, it’s quite possible that this could, and will happen.
MSN.com
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, fans should keep an eye on Henry as the trade deadline approaches. With this season spiraling out of control, Baltimore could move him to a contender for some draft picks.
“If he isn’t in Baltimore’s plans beyond this year, the Ravens could find themselves fielding offers over the next week,” Graziano wrote. “Henry’s base salary this year is just $1.255 million (he made the rest of this year’s $14 million via bonuses the Ravens have already paid), so he’d be extremely easy for another team to absorb onto its cap.”
Where the problem really lies is trade compensation to the Ravens. Rumors swirl it will take at least a 2nd round pick and a player or later round pick to draw Henry away. Houston currently holds a 1st, 3rd, 4th and 3 – 7th round picks in 2027, and their normal complement in 2028. Odds are Baltimore won’t take a 3rd to keep Henry in the AFC, when the Giants might easily offer up a 2nd.
Baltimore is lacking in one key area though, quarterback. And, Houston has arguably one of the best QB2s in the NFL with Davis Mills.
Could the Texans offer Mills, a 3rd and 7th to land Henry?
Giving up Stroud’s backup is likely unwise in a league where injuries are “when’s” not “ifs”, but failing to hire better offensive coaches has put the team in this position.
This also comes down to tonight’s game. The Jacksonville Jaguars are in Baltimore preparing to play the Ravens on Thursday Night Football. If the Ravens win Henry likely stays put. If they lose, Caserio is on the clock.
If the Glitter Kitties win, that continues their grip on the current AFC South lead. If they lose, Houston can move closer to taking that lead away – assuming they beat the Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday. Do we root for the Jags to lose so Texans schedule presents an easier path to the division title or for the Ravens to fall so Caserio has a better open door for getting one of the only true smash-mouth running backs they can grab at this juncture?
Why they didn’t really go after Henry when he left the BESFs is a bit of a mystery, but now might be their chance to rectify that. God knows Henry has certainly proven he can run in NRG…
From 2024:
If the Texans braintrust is really locked on their hat-on-hat, jumbo package run game, then trading for Henry is a move they have to explore, and sacrifice to make.
