Now, that's certainly an eye-catching comment coming from Ryans when factoring in the pending status of Mixon. The Texans' veteran runner was far and away the lead man in Houston's backfield last year, handling a staggering 245 carries, 200+ more carries than the next closest backs in Dameon Pierce and Cam Akers, who each logged 40 apiece.

Joe Mixon, the Houston Texans' top rusher last season, will miss the first four games due to a non-football injury. The team will depend on Nick Chubb, Dameon Pierce, rookie Woody Marks, and Dare Ogunbowale to uphold their rushing strategy in Mixon's absence.