Jonathan Alexander: Texans RB Dameon Pierce Will 'Have More Success Than He Did Last Year'

Houston Chronicle writer Jonathan Alexander joins Next Up ahead of the Houston Texans' Week 1 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans hold high expectations for the 2024 season, especially with new talents boosting the roster. "[Stefon] Diggs is one of [C.J.] Stroud's favorite targets," and Danielle Hunter "can plug in anywhere and he'll be successful," Alexander said. Running back Joe Mixon was another one of the Texans' impactful offseason signings. However, even though he is now fully healthy, Mixon missed most of training camp with a quadriceps injury. "The Texans have a lot of options at running back," especially with veteran Cam Akers making the 53-man roster. Second on the running back depth chart is Dameon Pierce, who will be looking to recreate his 2022 rookie season, where he rushed for 939 yards. With opportunities on special teams, as well as meaningful snaps behind Mixon, "I think [Pierce will] have more success than he did last year."

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Kind enough to join us as he prepares to cover
today's practice for the Houston Chronicle. On the beat for
the Texans, my brother friend of mine, Jonathan m Alexander JMA,
Good morning to you, man. You're ready for a week
one practice.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Absolutely, it's time to get it started. Man, too many
training camp practices. I'm glad it's finally hit.

Speaker 3 (00:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Man, I'm sure the players are too, like, good God,
let's get out of camp and get ready to rock.
All right, you posted something yesterday. I do believe ten
Bowl predictions for twenty twenty four. Now, before we get
to your article, I'm not sure if you heard me
start the show, Gordion and I I pose this question
to the public. I look at Demiko Rans and CJ.

(00:40):
Stroud last year, obviously their first season, and when they
had time to prepare, a more time than usual to
prepare for an opponent Week one at Baltimore and then
coming out of that bye week going to I think
that was at Carolina and the result wasn't great.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
CJ.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Stroud on the road as a start of three and
seven losing record. Is it unfair or your thoughts expectations
for do Miko and the rest of this ball club
to have these guys ready to play their best Week
one ball given the continuity, especially on offense.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
Is that fair of me?

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Is it fair to expect them? I think maybe they could.
They will have a good game. They've been preparing all summer.
I wouldn't look at the previous two instances that you mentioned,
like coming off the bye week and the week one
Week one, they had a lot to work through. We'll
see this child's first start.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
I'm with you.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, that Carolina game. They talked to some players in
the locker room. They admitted they kind of looked past
Carolina and the work and then that was certainly their fault.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
Okay, And who's hell responsible for that?

Speaker 1 (01:49):
If that's the mindset of the team, who's hell responsible
for that?

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah? You got? I mean you got to hold everybody
responsible because when we coach this down to the players.
But I don't think that that would, you know, have
an effect on them going into Week one. I think
they're looking at this as an opportunity that they need
to win, especially early in their season, because the later
part of the season gets really tough, and I think

(02:13):
they should be prepared and they'll have most of their
main players, primary players on hand ready to play week one.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
Jonathan, It's interesting.

Speaker 4 (02:22):
I mean they've added a lot of new new pieces,
from Stefan Diggs to Joe Mixon and you know Daniel
Haunter all these new pieces. How well do you think
they've all gelled throughout training camp, in the preseason and
how ready are they for those big words we throughout
their chemistry and continuity or do we see a little
green in Week one? Do ah new pieces all the

(02:45):
timing's not there yet with Joe Mixon or c J.
Stroud connecting with Stefan Diggs, or do you think maybe
that's a little bit overblown.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
I think it's a little bit overblown. I think they've
probably jailed as well as you could probably expect. You know,
you look at last year, you know they were all
playing together for the first time. I think that happens.
But I think they've put in the work throughout the
off season, look at training camp, look at preseason. Think
it was one of Star Out's favorite targets. They've been
working on time and all off season, so I think

(03:13):
you'll see it come to fruition. Daniel Hunter really doesn't
need I think, you know, rushing with his rushers. That
does take a little bit of time, But I think
daneil Hunter is a guy you can plugging anywhere and
he'll be successful. You saw that in the Pittsburgh game,
not just in fields off down with one arm with
that sat And then you look at Joe Mixon. I
think he's probably the guy who it'll probably take the

(03:36):
longer to get adjusted, just because he's coming off that injury.
He's healthy now, but I think he could take a
little bit longer for him to get fully back. But
I don't see it taking him too long. And the
Texans have a lot of options at running back from
Cam Akers and Damian Pierce, Darre Gobowila too, who can
help shoulder that load. So I think it's a little

(03:56):
bit overblind.

Speaker 1 (03:58):
Talking with John m Alexander to Houston Chronicle covers Detexans,
and I want to delve into your ten predictions for
twenty twenty four. You've got seven and eight in the
running back room. I don't want to steal all your thunder,
but you have some expectations for Joe Mixing and Damian Pierce.
Specific to those two gentlemen, what do you think in
twenty twenty four will bring.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Yeah, I think as long as Joe Mixing has is healthy,
I think he can have a really good season. He
looked good when he returned from the injury. So you know,
I predicted I mean, you know, I was a little
bit lighthearted with our predictions, but I predicted that he
gets just under a thousand yards. I also, you know,
said that I think Damian Pierce will get back to

(04:43):
his not necessarily his rookie form, but he won't be
struggling the way he did last year. I think he'll
be a little bit more prepared, and I think he'll
be better than a lot of people are expecting. A
lot of people are expecting because of those preseason rushers,
that he'll have a bad year. I think he'll be
used in a variety of ways from special teams and

(05:03):
as a backup running back. And I think he'll have
more success than he had last year. So those are
two of the bigger predictions.

Speaker 3 (05:09):
That made we talked about Jonathan.

Speaker 4 (05:11):
This is a place going up to Indianapolis, a place
where the Texans historically have not had a lot of success.
In fact, as a franchise, they lost the first thirteen
straight up there. In Indianapolis, more successes of l two
in a row, five and four in their last nine
up there.

Speaker 3 (05:24):
But we were talking to her about it.

Speaker 4 (05:26):
You know, who has the coaching advantage, And obviously Demko
is very beloved and you know, as a finalist for
Coach of the Year and all that. But I think
you got to give Shane Syke and credit what he
was able to do last year with the injury to
Anthony Richardson and yet you know, to still get wins
with Gardner Minshew and finished nine to eight and you
know they were one went away from winning the division
and you know, making it to the playoffs. So do

(05:47):
you think there's a clear cut I mean, we're biased
here in Houston. We love to Miko, but do you
think there's a clear cut coaching edge here or is
it kind of a watch with two guys coming off
their rookie seasons as head coaches.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
No, I absolutely think it's a watch. I think when
you look at Coach of the Year, if the voters
would have waited a little bit longer, I think it
would have been it. I think it should have been
between Shane's Titan and Demico Ryans. I think what like
you mentioned what Shane Typing was able to do with
Indianapolis coach, considering he lost his starting quarterback, did not

(06:19):
have Jonathan Taylors for most of the year, and was
still able to keep the coach in that playoff race
for as long as they did all the way up
until we eighteen with that final game, and that play,
that fourth down play was a brilliant play if he
had just put in the right player to throw to
and if this quarterback had made the right throw. So yeah,

(06:41):
I believe it's a little bit of a watchcause I
think both the great coaches and I think you ask
any banter of body around the league, they'll say the
same thing. But I do think the Texans have a
little bit more talent and I think that'll show this
season as long as they can remain healthy.

Speaker 1 (06:58):
All right, jam, maybe we'll get you out of here
on this one. Actually, these two. First one c J Stroud,
I expect him to hit the ground running, Bobby Sloyck,
healthy offensive line, more toys. This should be one of
the more proficient offenses international Football League starting in week
one relative to the rest of the league. When we
get to the end of week eighteen, what will the

(07:19):
national and local media be saying about CJ.

Speaker 3 (07:22):
Stroud.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
I think the potential there is that CJ. Stroud will
be an MVP candidate, and that was in one of
my predictions. I just think, you know, a lot of
people were talking about a sophomore slump, but when you
look at teams and players who have had sophomore slumps,
you know, of course teams often play that worst schedule,
then they go if they finish first, they play the

(07:43):
best schedule. But teams don't typically supply there are quarterbacks
with the talent that the Texans have done this year.
Adding Stefan Digg and Jill Mix into the mix while
also retaining some other key pieces on this offense is
going to help elevate se Strowd And we obviously know
the type of talent he had at ardal be the
greatest rookie season of all time, and then you just

(08:06):
give him more talent. He can only soar from there
as long as he stays healthy and as long as
that offensive line for Texans. So I do think we'll
be talking about c J. Strodden and the MVP conversation
come leaky t all right, and.

Speaker 1 (08:18):
Then finally Week one is here, not going to ask
you for your game prediction, but I will based on
what you put out there. Again at the Houston Chronicle,
Jonathan Alexander joining us on the Texas beat Texas out
on the practice field and probably another eighteen minutes or so.
I think they go out there at eleven or eleven thirty.
How will the Texans season conclude in twenty twenty four
based on what your prediction model suggests?

Speaker 2 (08:42):
Yeah, my prediction that I have been going to the
AFC Championship game.

Speaker 3 (08:45):
I think they'll be on.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
Par with I think they're around tied for the second
third best team in the AFC with the Ravens, and
I think, you know, they'll get a wild card and
go get past the ABC Division of Ros and face
the Chiefs, where I think the Chiefs are really the
team to beat. I think Chiefs are a little bit
ahead of the rest of the competition and we will

(09:09):
be in line for their third Super Bowl in the row.

Speaker 1 (09:11):
All Right, that's the voice of Jonathan M. Alexander, courtesy
of The Houston Chronicle. Dropping by next up with Fleet
and Gordon. Make sure you follow Jonathan for your Texans
content at j O N The letter m Alexander, well,
appreciate you, brother, Thank you much.

Speaker 3 (09:26):
Man. Enjoy practice. I appreciate y'all. All right, talk to you.