Texans RBs: Dayne Cook Isn't Funny

With the vague knee injury to Ahman Green, the two players who rushed for the Texans against the Falcons were Ron Dayne and Jameel Cook. They combined for 68 yards. Eleven of Dayne's 15 carries were for less than 3 yards. There were three third downs and 1 yard to go that Dayne couldn't convert.

Dayne says he will work on it:

"I could have kept the team on the field a couple of more times getting those third-and-1s and third-and-2s. I felt like I should have done more, and I will work harder in practice and work on little things like that."

I'm not sure what ails him is a lack of practice. Ron Dayne is a big guy, and the Texans have always said they were going to use him as a short yardage back, but in the pros he really has never excelled in the short yardage back role. He's a big guy that doesn't run big, but is big enough that he really isn't much of a threat to turn the corner.

Last year, the only time that the Texans had any sort of running game was these three things corresponded: 1. When center Steve McKinney was playing; 2. They were playing poor run defenses; 3. When the quarterback was being such a goon in the backfield, and there was no experienced healthy backup, that the running game was their only hope.

I have some trust that with the right guy at quarterback, the Texans passing game can be pretty plug and play with personnel. Of course, the Texans miss Andre Johnson and Jacoby Jones, both players who can get in the end zone, but the passing game isn't completely embarrassing.

The running game is a different story. Since Kubiak has taken over the Texans, they've tried to upgrade at running back, but Ahman Green hasn't played an entire game yet after being injured in the first game. And so, like last year, the Texans are once again doing their running back experiment, trying to find anyone that they can trust not to get stuffed.

At this point, they don't need astonishing play at the running back position, but rather someone who isn't going to be a liability. Kubiak's offense depends on positive yards each play and reducing the numbers of third and long situations. Eventually, if teams realize the Texans can't convert your third and ones/twos, they are not going to respect their running game, and the passing game will suffer.

Anything to add to this?

And as an aside, I wanted to note that some people think the comedian Dane Cook is absolutely hysterical, and some people not so much. I find him okay in really small doses like the above YouTube, though I can't say I like the reports that he theives material.