The Houston Texans gave fans some free football on Sunday, using up the entirety of overtime in a winning effort over the Tennessee Titans. Beleaguered by injuries, Houston found a way to win, 19-16, to keep its playoff hopes alive.
Simply put, the Texans would not have won this game without running back Devin Singletary. On the game’s final drive, Singletary had a 41-yard catch. He finished the drive with a five-yard run, a nine-yard score called back due to a penalty, and a final handoff to set up kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn's game-winner.
On a day where Houston struggled to move the ball – scoring just one touchdown – Singletary’s contributions were critical. His teammates knew it, too.
Tight end Dalton Schultz revealed what makes “Motor” special on Monday.
“He’s got such good vision, just in the zone schemes, and he’s got sneaky balance,” Schultz said. “It always takes a little more than you think to bring him down …
“To have a guy step up in those big-time moments and be able to make those plays. … Motor’s done a great job, great job all year.”
In all, he had 26 rushes for 121 yards on the ground. His receiving acumen was highlighted by that big play in overtime, and he finished with four catches for 49 yards. He was the only Houston weapon to pass the century mark in yardage.
His impact wasn’t lost on head coach DeMeco Ryans, either. In a game, and a season, in which unlikely heroes have stepped up, Singletary has salvaged a rushing attack that for the first half of the season was among the worst in football.
“Motor has this sneaky ability to find space,” Ryans began. “He has really good contact balance, so he’s really not going down all the time on that first contact. He finds a way to maintain his balance and still find those lanes the O-Line has created.
“And Motor is always pressing forward. He’s very shifty – you don’t see it all the time – but he’s shifty in the interior line. He’s very shifty and he finds a way to continue to press forward and fall for yardage. He’s doing a really nice job for us.”
Singletary has been rewarded for his play in recent weeks. It has long been clear that the starting job is his, and incumbent starter Dameon Pierce played just one snap on Sunday. This is Singletary’s backfield, both for his performance on the field and the traits that fuel it.
Motor will have another chance to keep the Texans afloat on Sunday against an elite Cleveland Browns defense.
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