The Houston Texans' snap counts for Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans have been unveiled.
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The snap counts from the Houston Texans' Week 5 matchup against the Tennessee Titans have officially been revealed.
And within those numbers, we're able to get a clear determination of exactly who was on the field for the Texans throughout this weekend's action, and see just how big a piece each player was to their game plan en route to a dominant 26-3 victory.
Let's take a look at how the action unfolded in Nashville for the Texans' snap counts, and break down three things from those numbers that have looked just a little different from last weekend's sample size:
What Stands Out From Texans' Snap Counts
Woody Marks Dominates Texans' RB Snaps
While David Montgomery's limited day with only nine snaps was because of the groin injury he sustained in the first half, it was clear that the Texans had no problem giving second-year runner Woody Marks a ton of opportunities while he was ruled out.
Marks was on the field for all but 10 offensive snaps for the day, and turned that into his best performance of the season thus far, recording 19 total touches for a combined 85 yards from scrimmage.
If Montgomery is forced to miss any time, which, based on DeMeco Ryans' claim from Monday that the veteran runner's status is now "week-to-week", you can expect to see Marks continue to be a heavy piece of the Texans' offensive game plan.
Who Replaced Jalen Pitre When He Was Sidelined
Along with an injury to David Montgomery on the offensive side, the Texans also saw their versatile nickel/safety, Jalen Pitre, leave the same in the second half with a shoulder injury, which has also left him week-to-week heading into Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
And in the time that Jalen Pitre was out, who did the Texans decide to slot into his place? It was fifth-round rookie safety, Kamari Ramsey, who hasn't been much of a factor on the defensive side of the ball for the first four weeks of the season, yet could slot into a key role on the depth chart for a short period, depending on how long Pitre is sidelined.
And the decision makes sense from the Texans' perspective too. Ramsey has previous experience playing the nickel along with safety during his time in college at USC, so maybe the first-year talent will be able to hold his own in that role.
How Kayden McDonald Was Used in His Rookie Debut
After finally recovering from the ankle injury that left him on injured reserve for the first four weeks of the season, second-round rookie Kayden McDonald was finally able to get his feet wet in an in-game setting for the first time of his NFL career.
And based on the limited chunk of reps that McDonald got, it seems as if the Texans wanted to ease their second-round rookie into the game plan, rather than immediately slotting him into a big role.
Sure, 11 snaps isn't much for McDonald to work with. But as he gets more games and experience under his belt, those opportunities will only continue to grow, to the point where he could be starting next to Sheldon Rankins by the time we get to the end of the regular season. For now, though, he'll have to remain patient.
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Jared Koch is the Publisher of Houston Texans On SI. He has covered the NFL and NBA with On SI since 2023, and is a graduate of Western Kentucky University.
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