Nick Chubb Ignites Texans' Ground Game, Earns GM's Praise - Texans Find Stability Without Mixon
Without the services of Joe Mixon in the offense, the Houston Texans have had to turn to the combination of late offseason free agent signing Nick Chubb and fourth-round rookie Woody Marks for the first quarter of the 2025 season— a duo that, to this point, has remained relatively stout.
Through five weeks, it's been a running back room led out by Chubb, leading the team in carries, rushing yards, touchdowns, and snaps, while also showing significant steps forward from his last campaign with the Cleveland Browns in 2024.
Chubb landed some solid praise from his general manager Nick Caserio heading into the bye following a strong start to his Texans tenure, noting both his efficiency and adaptability as a late offseason acquisition among other standout traits since being in Houston.
"Nick [Chubb]'s a very efficient runner. He's very instinctive. He's got good balance. He's got good playing strength, and he's usually going forward," Caserio said during an interview on Texans Radio. "There haven't been a lot of negative runs with him on the field."
"Nick's been nothing but a pro. We got him a little bit to the team in June, so really, it was training camp was his first opportunity to assimilate to some of the things that we're doing."
"But, Nick's done a really good job, so, the combination of him and Woody [Marks]; they've kind of complemented each other fairly well over the first five weeks, so hopefully we can continue to build on the thinfs that they're doing."
Through five games, the Texans reside around the middle-of-the-pack in rushing offense in the NFL, ranking 16th in total rushing yards (581) and 17th in yards-per-attempt (4.4).
It's been an operation led out by Chubb on early downs and a power runner that tends to log 10 or more carries a game, while Marks can fill in as a pass-catcher in the backfield with the explosiveness of his own to make a few chunk plays happen.
They've been without their best runner in Mixon for the first five games of the year, and will certainly be without him for longer. But with a Chubb and Marks tandem leading the way in the backfield, Houston's still stuck as a serviceable and consistent unit on the ground.
Texans GM Speaks on Possibility of Trade Deadline Move
The NFL trade deadline sits just under a month away, and for some teams around the league, a few whispers have already begun to surface of notable names who could be hitting the trade market.
The Houston Texans, now heading into their Week 6 bye, could be a team to look towards as a potential deadline buyer.
They're on the rise at a 2-3 record following two-straight wins, have some extra draft capital slated for next offseason in the form of two seconds and two fourth round picks as ammunition, and still have slight wiggle room in terms of cap space to take a swing.
On paper, the Texans might make sense as a team that could look to bring in an extra piece or two on the trade market leading up to the deadline ahead of next month.
And when asked about the idea of making a deadline move with that extended flexibility, Texans general manager Nick Caserio didn't count the idea out, but also noted that if there isn't a move out there that makes sense, they're confident in the group they have in the building as is.
"We'll look at it. We have some flexibility," Caserio said of the trade deadline. "You can do a cost-benefit analysis, not to get into a big economics discussion... If you're going to give something up, what are you getting in return? Are you comfortable with that decision? What's the cost from a contractual standpoint? Some of those types of things."
"[We] try to maintain as much flexibility as possible, so we're in a decent spot. If there's a situation out there that we feel makes some sense, and it works out, great. If it doesn't, then, okay, we're prepared to handle it with the players that we have here."
The Texans have shown strong improvements from Week 1 as is with the talent already in-house. The defense has remained one of the best collective units in the NFL, and for the past two weeks, the offense has been flowing increasingly better with each win.
But if there's an ideal opportunity to acquire talent from a selling team, Caserio and the Texans may still benefit from bolstering their operation on either side of the ball.
Some movement has already been made around the league when it comes to moves. Just earlier this week, the Cleveland Browns made a move with their division rival, the Cincinnati Bengals, to provide them with their new fill-in quarterback, Joe Flacco.
But even with the early motion and shifting taking place, Caserio notes the deadline for deals around the NFL as a bit of a "whimper" more than anything. However, the door still remains open for a move or two to be made on his end.
"You're starting to see a bit of jockeying. Teams are losing players; the trade deadline is three or four weeks away. I know everyone gets excited about the trade deadline, and typically, it ends up being a whimper more than anything else. But you never know; every year's a little bit different."
"Always be open-minded. I think that's the one thing I think we've shown. We're open-minded. Be adaptable. Be flexible."
Cesario appears content with holding his cards for now, but don't count out the Texans' front office from shaking things up closer to the deadline at the start of next month.
Can Kristian Fulton Save the Chiefs' Struggling Secondary?
When Kristian Fulton was signed in the offseason, it was with the intent that he would be a critical piece of the Chiefs' secondary. He plays a position of need that was hit hard by injuries in 2024, ideally filling a necessary void opposite Trent McDuffie, especially since Jaylen Watson was recovering from a broken fibula suffered in Week 7 of 2024. However, when Fulton arrived, he was recovering from an offseason procedure that limited his availability. He then suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 and has been hindered since.
His injury has proven to have a trickle-down effect on the entire Chiefs secondary. Today’s NFL is mostly played in sub-packages; therefore, there are at least five defensive backs on the field most of the time. Fulton’s injury has highlighted both the good and bad parts of the Chiefs' secondary.
Nohl Williams has played exceptionally well when given the opportunity—in fact, he’s been one of the highest-graded cornerbacks in the NFL. However, his opportunities have been few and far between as of late. In Monday’s game against the Jaguars, he interestingly only played four snaps.
Kristian Fulton is going to have to work his way back into a crowded cornerback room.
This has forced the Chiefs to play Chamarri Conner in the nickel slot more than they would likely prefer. Coverage is not his specialty, and it has cost the Chiefs in multiple games. He’s given up many big plays, including a critical pass interference penalty in the end zone against the Jaguars that not only negated an interception that would have sealed the win but also put the Jaguars on the goal line. From there, Trevor Lawrence ran it in for the game-winning touchdown. Conner just hasn’t been good in coverage situations.
So, where does this leave Kristian Fulton? So far, he’s only played 17 snaps on the season. In spite of this, I believe a role for him still exists, provided he is healthy and ready to contribute. Speed and quickness have always been a big part of his game; he’s someone who has excelled in the short-to-intermediate area due to his short-area quickness and his ability to close separation. Having his legs healthy is critical before putting him out on the field.
However, if he’s healthy, he should immediately provide depth and at least have a role in sub-packages for starters. Jaylen Watson has played some on the outside in sub-packages, as has Nohl Williams. Both are bigger corners whose physical presence matches up well outside. Fulton could provide some needed depth in sub-packages, perhaps as the fourth corner, providing some critical snaps in that role. Ultimately, everything is contingent on his health. Whatever the case, the Chiefs need this unit to get healthy and play better.
