With Lamar Miller and Duke Johnson nailed down at starter and backup at running back for the Texans, there is a huge battle for the final running back spot.
Josh Ferguson, Taiwan Jones, Buddy Howell and undrafted rookies Damarea Crockett and Karan Higdon are all fighting to make the roster. And while all of them were given the opportunity to make plays during Houston’s 30-23 victory over the Detroit Lions on Saturday, one stood out from the rest by a lot.
Howell, a former Florida Atlantic back, made 15 appearances for the Texans in 2018, contributing some strong performances on special teams. On Saturday, he showed his mettle as a rusher.
On 15 attempts he ran for an impressive 84 yards and a touchdown. The next-closest rusher to him in terms of yardage for the Texans was Crockett with 32.
The 23-year-old Howell certainly gave his chance at making the roster a significant boost after this outing, and don’t be surprised if Bill O’Brien looks to test him again over the next two weeks to see if this sort of a performance can be replicated.
