The Houston Texans expected big things from rookie running back Woody Marks in October after amassing 119 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans last week. The hype train even got to the point where fans wondered if the ex-USC Trojan's coming out party would see him operate as the No. 1 RB against the banged-up Baltimore Ravens in Week 5.
Although the Texans notched a one-sided 44-10 win over the Ravens, Marks' impact on the game was invisible at best. Fellow RB Nick Chubb stole his job back with an 11-61-1 stat line to get fans believing in his outlook again, leaving Marks with an uncertain outlook and no one to blame but himself.
Woody Marks Disappoints in Texans' Blowout Win vs. Ravens
Despite playing three more offensive snaps (27) than Chubb (24), Marks was the quieter of the Texans' two RBs. The 24-year-old runner only mustered 24 rushing yards on seven carries, averaging out to 3.4 yards per attempt. This was a major disappointment, considering how he was averaging at least 4.1 in the last three outings. He also failed to catch his lone target after hauling in 4-of-5 passes last week.
It didn't help that the Texans allowed other members of the backfield to cut into Marks' snap count. Although inefficient, Dameon Pierce had seven carries for 21 yards while British Brooks tallied 15 yards on two attempts. Even wideouts Nico Collins and Jaylin Noel had one carry in the running game while quarterback C.J. Stroud had a game-long 30-yard run in the second quarter(h/t @NFL).
While first-year hiccups are expected, Marks' lackluster outing is disappointing because of how bad the Ravens' defense has been this season, combined with their current injuries. They entered Week 5 allowing 141.3 rushing yards per game (27th), so there wasn't any real excuse for Marks not to build off last week's performance, especially when Chubb had no issue capitalizing on the favorable matchup.
It'll be interesting to see how head coach DeMeco Ryans will handle the backfield going forward. Marks showed his potential in Week 4, but Sunday's performance may have proved that Chubb is still more suited for the RB1 role in the meantime.
That's why the Texans' bye week couldn't have come at a better time. Ryans can use the next seven days to figure out the best plan of attack for the RB room, leaving time to tell what Marks' role will look like when Houston returns to action against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7.