Texans running back Joe Mixon, in his eighth season in the NFL, proved he’s still got plenty left in the tank with an impressive 30 carries in the first game of the season. When asked about his workload, Mixon confidently responded, “Shit, I’m just reaching my prime.”
The Texans are fully on board with Mixon carrying the load, as offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik hinted that Mixon will continue to be a focal point of the offense moving forward. Slowik praised Mixon’s physical conditioning, stating, “Physically, I’d say he’s probably one of the few guys remaining in the NFL that could handle that. I mean, there’s not many offenses you’re going to run the ball to the same guy 30 times over and over, and over and over again every week. But I’m not really worried about his workload in that regard. He’s just built and has in his past, done that before and is built to do that.”
While Mixon’s workload may seem excessive to some, Slowik emphasized that the Texans’ game plan is based on strategic decisions. “But it really is more of we’ll give Joe the ball as many times as necessary and we’ll give [receiver] Nico [Collins] the ball as many times as necessary and we’ll give [receiver Stefon Diggs] the ball as many times as necessary and [receiver] Tank [Dell] and like really all the way across the board,” Slowik explained. “And every game’s going to wind up playing out different. So, in that game, it was a 30-carry game for Joe and when you have 30 carries and you’re averaging over four, in his case five a carry, that’s a heck of a day.”
With Mixon’s stellar performance in the season opener, all eyes will be on him again as the Texans prepare to face the Bears on Sunday night. Fans can tune in to watch Mixon and the Texans in action on NBC and Peacock.
