Texans Head to London Without David Montgomery and Jalen Pitre

 

Texans Head to London Without David Montgomery and Jalen Pitre — Now Houston’s Depth Gets a Real Test

By B. Keith Crear III

The Houston Texans finally got something going last week.

Now comes the hard part — keeping it going.

Houston will make the trip across the pond to face the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium without running back David Montgomery and safety Jalen Pitre, two starters who suffered injuries during the Texans’ 26-3 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

Montgomery is dealing with a groin injury, while Pitre is sidelined with a shoulder injury. Neither player will travel to London. Wide receiver Tank Dell will also remain behind as he continues working his way back from his knee injury.

For a Texans team sitting at 1-4, this is not exactly the time you want to start testing your depth.

But here we are.

Montgomery Being Out Opens the Door for Woody Marks

Losing Montgomery hurts the running back room, but I don't think Houston should panic.

In fact, this might be an opportunity for Woody Marks to show exactly what he can do with a bigger workload.

Montgomery has rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns this season while averaging just 2.7 yards per carry. Marks has 149 rushing yards, two touchdowns and is averaging 3.5 yards per attempt.

Marks also stepped up when Montgomery left against Tennessee, rushing for 63 yards on 15 carries while adding 22 receiving yards.

That's what caught my attention.

The Texans don't necessarily need Marks to become a 150-yard running back overnight. They need him to give the offense balance.

Houston cannot travel to London and put everything on the passing game. Jacksonville is 4-1 for a reason, and becoming one-dimensional against a division opponent is a good way to make an already difficult game even harder.

Marks needs to run hard, protect the football and keep Houston out of those ugly second-and-12 and third-and-long situations that have killed drives this season.

This could be his chance to grab a larger role even after Montgomery returns.

Pitre's Absence Concerns Me More

This is where I think the bigger problem lies.

Montgomery is an important piece offensively, but Pitre is one of those players whose impact goes beyond the box score.

He gives Houston versatility in the secondary and can play around the line of scrimmage, help against the run and contribute in coverage. Losing that flexibility against a divisional opponent puts more pressure on everybody else.

Rookie Kamari Ramsey is expected to step into Pitre's role after filling in at nickel when Pitre left the Tennessee game. DeMeco Ryans praised Ramsey's versatility and ability to learn multiple positions quickly.

That's encouraging.

But there's a big difference between filling in during a blowout and preparing for a full game against Jacksonville.

The Jaguars will know Pitre isn't out there.

Expect them to test Ramsey early.

That's where Houston's defensive front needs to help its young defensive back. If the Texans can generate pressure without constantly sending extra defenders, it makes Ramsey's job much easier.

Houston's Defense Can't Afford a Step Back

The encouraging part is that the Texans aren't coming into London wondering whether their defense can dominate.

They just held Tennessee to three points.

That's the blueprint.

Houston needs the defensive line to create pressure, the linebackers to tackle cleanly and the secondary to prevent explosive plays.

Pitre being unavailable shouldn't completely change the identity of this defense.

But it absolutely changes the margin for error.

One busted assignment in the secondary can become six points very quickly.

That's especially important because the Texans aren't in a position where they can comfortably get into a shootout and expect the offense to bail them out.

London Could Become a Turning Point

At 1-4, we're past talking about moral victories.

Houston needs wins.

The Texans finally got their first one against Tennessee, and now they have an opportunity to build momentum against a 4-1 Jaguars team in London.

Beat Jacksonville and suddenly you're coming home 2-4 with consecutive wins and some confidence.

Lose, and you're 1-5.

That's a massive difference.

Montgomery and Pitre being unavailable makes the assignment tougher, but injuries are part of an NFL season. Eventually every team reaches a point where somebody lower on the depth chart has to step forward.

For Houston, that moment has arrived.

My Two Pennies

I'm actually more interested in seeing how the Texans respond to these injuries than worrying about who isn't making the flight.

We already know what Montgomery and Pitre bring to this team.

Now we get to find out what Houston has behind them.

Woody Marks has an opportunity to prove he deserves more touches. Kamari Ramsey gets an opportunity to show he can handle a major role in DeMeco Ryans' defense.

And the Texans as a whole have an opportunity to prove that beating Tennessee wasn't just one good Sunday.

If Houston wants to turn this season around, it cannot wait until everybody is healthy.

Sometimes you have to win short-handed.

Sometimes your young players have to grow up a little faster than planned.

And sometimes you have to fly across the Atlantic, walk into Wembley Stadium against a 4-1 division rival and find a way to get the job done anyway.

That's where the Texans are right now.

They finally have some momentum.

Now let's see if they can bring it through customs.