HOUSTON – Joe Mixon has a clear vision, and it isn’t only of the green real estate in front of him as he cuts behind the blocks of his offensive line.
It’s how he sees the vast potential for an explosive Texans offense and the outlook for a defending AFC South division champion.
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Acquired in an offseason trade from the Cincinnati Bengals and signed to a three-year, $27 million extension, Mixon shares a huddle with Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud, Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and a talented receiving corps that includes Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell in addition to veteran tight end Dalton Schultz.
Mixon can’t wait to make his debut with the Texans after missing the majority of the preseason with a quadriceps injury. He has made a full recovery and has been practicing for the past few weeks, looking fast and fluid on the field.
“I feel like it should be big expectations,” Mixon told KPRC 2. “Honestly, the sky is the limit in this offense. Everybody in the running back room contributing in a major way, as they’re supposed to do, and same with the receivers. I think everybody has their work cut out for them, as the other team has as well. We take care of the football and don’t beat ourselves, I think we’ll be in great position every week. Business mindset, new week, new opponent, I feel like we’ve got to go out there and execute.”
#Texans veteran running back Joe Mixon @Joe_MainMixon @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/iYoWiUBBby
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 5, 2024
A former second-round draft pick from Oklahoma, Mixon is signed to a deal that includes $13 million guaranteed with a $10 million payout in the first year of his new contract. Mixon has scored 29 total touchdowns over the past three seasons combined.
A heavy workload as a runner and as a receiver out of the backfield is anticipated for Mixon.
“Joe will be Joe,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Joe will be doing what he’s done his entire career. I don’t think you’ll see anything different. He’s a strong, physical back. He’s going to get yards. So I’m excited about seeing Joe run the ball behind our offensive line.”
The Texans emerged as a trendy Super Bowl contender after a dramatic turnaround season last year, going from 3-13-1 in a one-and-done year under former coach Lovie Smith to 11-8 with one playoff win under Ryans, the Pro Football Writers of America NFL Coach of the Year and the runner-up for Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year honors.
“Yeah, man, obviously a lot of expectations, as it should be around here,” Mixon said. “We’ve got a great group of guys, great group of coaches and everything from top to bottom. Very excited, I feel like we’ve got the guys in here that can do everything we want to achieve. Obviously, it goes one week at a time and we’ve got to do everything we have to do to make it work.”
Mixon figures to be a focal point of the Texans’ offense in offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s playbook.
Mixon, 28, has prototypical size and speed at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, and the former second-round draft pick from Oklahoma has rushed for 6,412 career yards and 49 touchdown runs with 283 catches for 2,139 yards and 13 touchdowns.
He rushed for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns last season and caught 52 passes for 376 yards and three scores, averaging 4.0 yards per carry. For his career, Mixon has average 4.1 yards per run.
The Texans plan to establish the run and have a balanced offense with Mixon heavily involved, especially near the goal line.
“It’s very important to run the ball,” Ryans said. “To be a good red zone offense, you have to be able to run the ball. All offenses in the history of the league in the red zone, they’ve been able to run the ball. And that’s what it’s going to take for us, like can we run the ball in to score in the red zone? The space gets limited when you try to throw the ball there, a lot of tight windows, so we’re going to rely heavily on Joe and the offensive line to really set the tone in the running game.”
And Slowik is looking forward to dialing up plays for Mixon, whose versatility fits his offense ideally.
“He’s a fun, fun person to coach,” Slowik said. ”I understand now why he was as good as he was at Cincinnati. He puts in an immense amount of work. He loves football. He does not stop wanting to learn, wanting to grow, which, again, just fits in with everyone else that we have. And he’s all-in on he’s going to do whatever it takes to win.
“He would love to be used as a passing threat. He would love to be a protector. He would love when he carries the rock. He loves when he’s a decoy. I mean, he just loves all of it. He’s been an absolute joy in every regard to coach. He’s a really fun personality.”
Mixon was given enough time to get ready for the games that actually count as the team ramped up his activity carefully. The injury wasn’t serious, but the team was patient with his workload, knowing how valuable Mixon is to the outlook of the offense.
“Man, I feel good,” Mixon said during training camp. “Only thing is getting used to this heat. It’s hard getting used to that. But, other than that, man, getting my legs up under me and able to get that chemistry with the O-line and receivers and, obviously, C.J., Man I feel great.”
The Texans’ annual series with the Colts is always a competitive situation. This game should be no different.
“Obviously, it is a big rivalry game and I’ve obviously have not been a part of that type of rivalry with them,” Mixon said. “At the same time, I’ve been a part of things like that. I’m approaching it like another game. Obviously, a big one and we will be ready for a big game. At the end of the day, handle all the little things and the little things take care of big things. Just got to keep everything rolling the way it should go and execute, take care of the football and obviously we’ll be in great position to win.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.
