Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde has been a godsend for the AFC South club since Lamar Miller’s torn ACL in the third preseason game, and Week 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London proved why.
The 29-year-old, who spent the entire offseason and preseason with the Kansas City Chiefs before being traded on Aug. 31, rushed 19 times for 160 yards in the Texans’ 26-3 win over the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. Hyde’s performance was enough to earn him some recognition from NBC Sports’ Peter King in his “Football Morning in America” column.
Carlos Hyde, running back, Houston. The Texans got bad news before the game when left tackle Laremy Tunsil was declared out due to injury. So Houston had to account for a scotch-tape job at left tackle against a good Jags defensive front. Throwing quick and staying mostly clean, Deshaun Watson was sacked only once in 29 pass drops. Houston ran it 34 times, including 19 for 160 yards by Hyde. What I loved is how Hyde dominated the second half: 10 carries, 122 yards.
On the season, Hyde has produced 704 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 149 carries. Even at a conservative pace of 50 yards over the next seven contests, the former 2014 second-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers should be able to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career.
The Texans are 6-3 on the season and head into their Week 10 bye with a half-game lead in the AFC South. The Texans’ ability to present a diverse offensive attack is largely due to the play from Hyde, which will be even more critical down the stretch as Houston makes a push for the postseason.
