Woody Marks Overtakes Nick Chubb, Seizes Texans’ Backfield Control
Woody Marks may have officially seized control of the Houston Texans’ backfield, and head coach DeMeco Ryans wants to see him continue to capitalize on what they expect to be increased opportunities.
Marks was the No. 116 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Brought in to be a change-of-pace option behind Joe Mixon, who is on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury (NFI) list, and Nick Chubb, Marks has emerged as so much more.
Woody Marks Gets Clear Message After Turning Heads
The Houston Chronicle’s Sam Warren noted that the Texans leaned on Marks more against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10 than they had all season.
“The Houston Texans appeared to have a new lead back Sunday,” Warren wrote on November 13. “The moment was overdue for the rookie who has been a key part of Houston’s running back rotation this year.
Warren’s take comes on the heels of Ryans’ comments about Marks and his fellow rookies.
“No more rookies. Woody, let’s go. Woody’s doing a great job. We got to continue to feed him more. [Jayden] Higgins on the outside. Everybody sees, this guy’s catch radius is insane. Put the ball in his vicinity. He’s going to go and get it. You need a big play. Who shows up on fourth down? It’s Jaylin Noel showing up, when we needed it most, to make that play,” Ryans said on “All Access” on November 11.
“These guys are not rookies. They’re making plays in the critical times of a game. Crunch time. We need it most. We’re counting on the rookies. Tae is doing a great job there at left tackle, continuing to battle down in, down out. He’s getting better as the season is going on. So, yeah. The rookie nameplate is off. It’s like, let’s go, and how can we finish this season the right way?”
While Higgins and Noel have come up big in clutch moments, Marks and “Tae” [Aireontae Ersery] have been consistent contributors at two of the game’s most demanding positions.
Texans Plan to Lean on ‘1-2 Punch’ at RB
Offensive coordinator Nick Caley likes the combination of Chubb and Marks, noting that who leads the backfield could change week to week. Ryans also touted the Texans’ unexpected top backfield duo.
“He did a really nice job handling the bulk of the carries for us,” Ryans said on November 10. “When Chubb came in and got his opportunities, he had some explosive runs.
“It was a good 1-2 punch that we were able to use.”
With Mixon sidelined, Chubb was set to be the Texans’ lead back, and he started the first eight games. However, Chubb is on a one-year contract, while the Texans also have decisions to make on Mixon, leaving Marks positioned to solidify his role as RB1 for next season.
Andy Reid Drops Final Isiah Pacheco Update Before Chiefs vs. Broncos
The war of attrition is a natural part of the NFL, and the Kansas City Chiefs have learned that the hard way as of late. Despite coming off a Week 10 bye, the reigning AFC champs still have some injuries to tend to.
With Sunday’s Week 11 bout against the Denver Broncos approaching, several players popped up on the club’s injury report. Running back Isiah Pacheco topped the list, with plenty of doubt surrounding his status for the weekend.
Speaking to the media on Friday afternoon, head coach Andy Reid added some fuel to that fire.
Andy Reid Makes Last Update on RB Isiah Pacheco for Week 11 vs. Broncos
Reid didn’t confirm that his starting halfback would miss Sunday’s game, but he also did nothing to instill more confidence. If historical Reid trends hold, Pacheco could miss the Chiefs’ Week 11 AFC West showdown in Denver with an MCL sprain.
“Alright, so the only person who didn’t practice today was Pacheco,” Reid said. “Everybody else went.
Earlier this week, Reid made it clear that he’d “have to see” how Pacheco progressed before making a determination on his status. With the former seventh-round pick missing each practice this week, expectations for his ultimate decision became clearer.
UPDATE: Kansas City officially ruled Pacheco out later on Friday afternoon.
Pacheco, now in his fourth season with the Chiefs, has logged 78 carries for 329 yards and a touchdown this year. In the games he’s played, he was on the field for 56.4% of available offensive snaps (307 reps). In his last healthy outing, a 28-7 win over the Washington Commanders, he set a season-high mark with 58 rushing yards. Unfortunately, the Rutgers product sustained the knee injury in the fourth quarter.
With Pacheco out in Week 9’s 28-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City went with Kareem Hunt as its lead halfback. He led the team in carries (11) and yards (49), also recording a rushing touchdown. Rookie Brashard Smith (3 carries for 7 yards) and 2020 first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire (2 carries for 5 yards) supported Hunt.
With a shorthanded running back rotation once again, it’s reasonable to expect Hunt to be leaned on to produce.
Other Chiefs Injury Odds & Ends Ahead of Sunday’s Game
Pacheco, while the most pressing, wasn’t the only injured Chief who needed to be accounted for. Two players, wide receiver Xavier Worthy and defensive end George Karlaftis, were limited at practice in various points of the week.
Worthy’s inclusion in the Thursday injury report caught many by surprise. After all, he wasn’t on Week 9’s pre-bye list, leaving most to assume he was past his ankle injury. On the contrary, Reid says the speedy wideout aggravated the issue a bit this week. He was a full participant in Friday’s work, however, according to Reid.
“Xavier, I know, was on that list,” Reid began. “He’s had an ankle. He just tweaked it a little bit, but he was good, good to go. He did everything today, no problem.”
Karlaftis, the Chiefs’ leader in sacks (5) and tackles for loss (7), was limited on both Wednesday and Thursday. Despite his thumb injury, Reid didn’t seem worried about the fourth-year man’s availability for the weekend.
“George did a nice job today, I thought,” Reid said. “Good.”
Kansas City won’t be at 100% health against their division rivals, but things could certainly be worse for them as they look to climb back into the conference playoff picture.
