The Houston Texans will be without Pro Bowl running back David Montgomery for their Week 7 game against the New York Giants as he continues to recover from a groin injury. Montgomery has not played since early in the first quarter of their Week 5 win over the Tennessee Titans, and the Texans confirmed he is not expected to suit up this Sunday.
Montgomery was brought to Houston in a trade this offseason and was expected to lead the Texans’ backfield. Since scoring two rushing touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, Montgomery has struggled to find the end zone, accumulating just 78 yards on 32 carries over the last few games. His absence leaves the Texans relying on other options to handle the rushing duties.
Woody Marks, last season’s leading rusher for Houston, stepped in during Montgomery’s injury and showed some promise. Marks rushed for 62 yards at an average of 4.1 yards per carry in the Titans game. So far this season, he has amassed 205 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Nick Caley expressed confidence in Marks and the other backs available, saying, "Woody will get a good amount of carries. We've got faith in Dare."
Dare Ogunbowale is expected to see increased action alongside Marks. The Texans are also preparing to add former Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn to the roster after Jawhar Jordan was placed on injured reserve due to an injury sustained in the recent win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. This leaves the Texans with limited options at running back for the upcoming game.
Caley commented on Ogunbowale’s readiness, noting, "It's like he was just here. He was just here, but it's like he hadn't left, I should say is the better way to say it. There's nothing that we have that he's not able to function and same with the guys that we have there relative to the game plan."
The Texans will need to adjust their rushing attack without Montgomery’s presence and find ways to balance the offense when they face the Giants. Houston’s kickoff is set for noon, with the game airing on FOX. The Texans will hope their supporting backs can fill the void as Montgomery continues his recovery.
According to Yahoo Sports.
