For those wondering if theHouston Texans have fixed their offensive line woes? One might want to take a look at the recent rankings from Pro Football Focus.
Houston spent over $30 million this offseason to improve its protection around quarterback C.J. Stroud and upgrade its run blocking. Veterans like right tackle Braden Smith and interior guard Wyatt Teller were supposed to be plug-and-play starters. Ed Ingram, Houston's top lineman from a season ago, was expected to build off his success in run blocking.
Not to mention, Houston also spenttwo early-round draft picks on Aireontae Ersery at left tackle and Keylan Rutledge at left guard to give a potential youthful rebuild. At the start of the season, the Texans ranked 31st, largely because of the uncertainty
at the newcomers taking on a more predominant role.
Entering the midseason, the Texans are the only offensive line that hasn't changed its spot from Week 1.
"Rookie left guard Keylan Rutledge earned a 61.3 overall PFF grade in the win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, marking the first time since Week 1 that he has earned a PFF grade above 60.0," PFF wrote. "We also saw a better game from left tackle Aireontae Ersery, whose 72.1 overall PFF grade was his best of the season despite allowing six pressures across 43 pass-blocking snaps."
While the Texans are allowing pressure, sacks have been a secondary issue. Now, this could be because of C.J. Stroud maneuvering inside the pocket and evading the hit, but the offensive line ranks in the bottom 10 in sacks allowed.
The problem, more than ever, has been the inability to win with run blocking. Houston ranks 29th in rushing and 30th in yards per attempt. Last week, the Texans only created two runs of over 8 yards, including a 14-yard run by Woody Marks. That happened to be the longest run of the afternon.
The Texans hope for more promising results in Week 10 as they travel to Cleveland for a date with the Browns. Kickoff is scheduled for Noon on FOX.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: How improved is the Texans O-line at the mideseason point? PFF weighs in
