Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce surprised everyone with an extremely productive rookie season, looking like an up-and-coming star to most NFL fans. As he gets ready for his sophomore season, he is taking notes on San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey.
Pierce showed off his skills on the ground last season, recording 939 rushing yards on the year. However, he wasn’t particularly effective as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, recording only 30 receptions last season.
McCaffrey has always been known as one of the best dual-threat running backs in the league, which is something that Pierce wants to become.
Texans new head coach DeMeco Ryans, who was notably with McCaffrey on the 49ers organization also brought along Bobby Slowik to be Houston’s new offensive coordinator.
Pierce spoke about the new offense that Slowik has put in place, saying that it is “running back friendly” and that he has been watching McCaffrey’s involvement in the 49ers’ offense last season for reference.
“Oh, the more ways I can get the ball, the better, baby. I love that. I love that,” Pierce said via Pro Football Talk on Tuesday. “But, I’ve got a lot of great guys to look at. Most recently, probably Christian McCaffrey. He thrived last year in the league. In this offense, he’s just getting out of the backfield, getting in the flat, catching hitches or whatever the case may be. There’s multiple ways to get a running back the ball.”
If Pierce is able to become a better pass catcher, it would certainly go a long way in speeding up the development of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
