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RB Ron Dayne, Houston Texans

HT: 5-10, WT: 245, Born: 3-14-1978, College: Wisconsin, Drafted: Round 1, Pick 11

2008 Projections

2007 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Last year's Houston rushing leader, Ron Dayne, now backs up Ahman Green. As such he provided good relief time for Green. He did not have any receptions but he can be counted on in the running and in the passing game.

Week 2 - Dayne carried the ball 18 times for 44 yards. He also had one catch for ten yards. Sixteen of his 18 carries came in the second half. Dayne only averaged 2.4 yards per carry but he ran the ball exclusively while Houston was looking to control the clock.

Week 4 - Dayne did not run particularly effectively, and gained almost half of his yards on one carry. He did not hit the line of scrimmage with power, and was usually brought down on first contact. He was used only as an outlet receiver and his contribution to the passing game was minimal.

Week 5 - Dayne stepped in for the injured Green and led the team with 16 carries for 40 yards, including a one yard touchdown plunge in the first quarter. He was targeted three times in the passing game, catching one pass for five yards. As you would expect, Dayne did not have many big plays, and his longest run was just nine yards.

Week 6 - Dayne was inactive for this game. He had only been averaging 2.9 yards per carry while filling in for the injured Ahman Green.

Week 7 - Dayne didn't get into the game until the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. On his first play in he caught a ten yard pass for a first down. It was his only touch of the game as he did not have a carry in the game.

Week 8 - Dayne ran much like the player Giants fans saw for years, plodding his way along the offensive line and unable to find any holes. He averaged fewer than three yards per carry on the game, which incidentally is what he's done all season long. He just looked slow to the hole and it's obvious that he is never going to be very successful against a speed defense like the one San Diego has. Dayne's ineffectiveness was made all the more evident when one saw how well Adimchinobe Echemandu looked hitting the hole. If starter Ahman Green is to miss any more time, don't be surprised if Echemandu is the one who is given a much larger role based on his work done in this game.

Week 9 - With Ahman Green leaving the game in the second quarter due to injury, Ron Dayne became the featured running back for Houston. Midway through the second quarter he had a nice looking run slashing through the middle of the field for a 14 yard touchdown.

Dayne was running with determination -- often just refusing to go down. He carried two Raiders on his back on a 15 yard gain in the fourth quarter. He topped 100 yards despite not being the featured back until the second quarter. He was easily the star of the game for the Texans, eating up the clock and yardage as they left the Black Hole with a victory.

Week 11 - Dayne ran hard and with power on most of his carries, which benefited him late in the game as he was able to break several tackles and help his team salt the game away by using up the game clock. He came up short on a fourth down play where he needed less than a yard and was stopped before he could gain the first down, but apart from that, was very effective both running the ball and catching screen passes and gaining yardage.

Week 12 - Dayne was contained for most of the game, struggling to find room to run behind an offensive line that could not generate much movement on the line of scrimmage. His longest run was only 14 yards and he was a non factor in the passing game. The Texans moved away from the rushing game in the second half, using Dayne almost exclusively as another blocker. His two catches were the result of good defensive pass coverage, and he was a safety outlet for Matt Schaub.

Week 13 - Dayne got off to a quick start, but was relatively quiet in the second half of this game following a pair of Titans touchdowns in the third quarter that forced the Texans to turn to the air, and away from his bruising style of running up the middle to wear down defenses. Dayne was clearly affected by the return of Albert Haynesworth to the Titans defense, who clogged up the middle.

Week 14 - Dayne started the game and ran the ball seven times for 17 yards, while adding two receptions for 15 yards in the passing game, before leaving the game with an injury. He did return to the game, but was not used much following the injury.

Week 15 - Dayne did not start the game in the backfield but he powered the ball up the middle for a six yard touchdown run. He looked strong when running, employing a vicious stiff arm on a 25 yard run in the fourth quarter. He shared carries with rookie RB Darius Walker and they both ran roughshod over the meager Broncos' front line.

Week 17 - Dayne ran with determination, taking on defenders routinely instead and usually managing to gain an extra yard or two after initial contact. While he did not break any long runs, he was effective enough to help keep the chains moving. Dayne took advantage of his red zone opportunities by converting two such rushes into touchdowns.