Juan Garza: Dear Drew, Offensively we need to sustain more drives to control the game/clock, how will the offense change to try and do so? I would say more hurry up offense from time to time.
DD: They're going to try to continue to get the ball in the hands of their playmakers like Dameon Pierce, Nico Collins, Brandin Cooks and Jordan Akins, to name a few. The offense, like the rest of the team, has to play better. You're right. The Texans started Sunday's game in New Jersey with a trio of 3-and-Outs, while the Giants countered with a 10-play scoring drive. The Texans were better from the second quarter on, offensively, but mixing in up-tempo offense earlier on might be something offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton employs in the near future.
Michael Allen: Dear Drew, Is Dameon Pierce better than Arian Foster?
DD: Not yet. He's got to do it for a few more years before we start having that conversation. Foster was a Pro Bowler four times in a 5-season span between 2010 and 2014. His second season in the league was an all-timer: he led the NFL in rushing yards (1,616) and rushing touchdowns (16), and also caught 66 passes for 604 yards and two more scores.
But let's do a comparison with a 9-game sample size. That's how many contests Pierce has played in as a pro. With Foster, let's cross out the two games in 2009 when he was a special teams contributor and didn't get any carries. If you begin with his Week 13 appearance that season against the Seahawks (13 rush attempts for 34 yards and four catches for 54 yards), and include those final three of the year, along with the first five games of 2010, Foster was good for the following: 821 rushing yards at a 5.4 yards per carry clip, with seven touchdowns. He'd also caught 21 passes for 247 yards and a score.
Pierce, meanwhile, has 772 yards at a 4.7 yards per carry rate, with three scores on the ground. He's caught 22 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown.
Foster's teams were much better. The 2009 Texans flourished at the end of their season and went 4-0 in games where he carried the ball. They were 3-2 through the first five games of 2010. It's been tougher for Pierce, as the team is 1-7-1 in his first nine.
But ultimately, it's a good thing that we're having the conversation. Foster's a franchise great, and Pierce is getting compared to him. In time, he may be better. But we must give it time.
James Garcia: Dear Drew, There's a ton of speculation about the rest of the season and next year's draft already. If you could have a Fantasy Island dream come true, what positions would you address with our picks?
DD: I don't mean to be a broken record, but when you're 1-7-1, there's room for more quality players at just about every position. Luckily, General manager Nick Caserio and the Texans are armed with a pair of first-rounders in 2023, and five picks total in the first three rounds. They have 11 overall in this year's NFL Draft, but I would expect that number to change between now and the time the final name is called in late April.
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