It may be easy to forget now, but veteran Marlon Mack actually started at running back for the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 of the 2020 season, a bad loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, even though rookie Jonathan Taylor was the highly regarded second-round pick from Wisconsin a few months prior and, to everyone's eyes, clearly the better player. Mack earned seven touches on 11 snaps before tearing his Achilles tendon in his lone game of the season. His injury opened the door for Taylor to garner more than 1,400 scrimmage yards and much love from the hearts of many a fantasy football manager.
Pardon me if I couldn't help but see a similar situation brewing for the beleaguered Houston Texans this past weekend, though hopefully without the major injury, of course. Mack, the early leader of the running back depth chart based seemingly on veteran status, started for his new franchise in Saturday's preseason opener and totaled 6 yards on three carries. It's just the preseason, but Mack, who rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and achieved 18 touchdowns during the 2018-19 seasons in Indy, seems to lack the same burst as prior to his major injury. He's 26 and kind of ordinary, as running backs go. Hotshot rookie Dameon Pierce, however, looks awesome.