The Houston Texans (9-5) handled business at NRG Stadium yesterday afternoon, blowing out the Arizona Cardinals (3-11) by a final margin of 40-20 and securing their ninth win of the season. 

The usual suspects contributed to the victory, such as quarterback C.J. Stroud, wide receiver Nico Collins, the special teams unit and the NFL's #1 overall defense.

However, in the midst of the excitement, there was deep steel-colored lightning that was captured in a Toro-branded bottle. This was none other than second-year running back Jawhar Jordan, who stole the show in his Texans debut and now has the fanbase wondering: have the Texans found the new tag team partner for Woody Marks in the backfield? 

For the uninitiated, running back Nick Chubb has suffered a rib injury in last Sunday's win vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. Thus, the Texans were in need of reinforcements at the position heading into yesterday against the Cardinals. 

At one point, Cody Schrader looked like he was in line to get the nod as a backup option. That is, until he was waived prior to the game on Saturday. In his place, Jordan was elevated from the practice squad and given some run against the Cardinals' then 19th-ranked rush defense. 

15 carries and 101 yards later, Jordan has now captivated fans and media and provided a spark to a previously dormant rushing attack.

His performance began in the second quarter, as Marks was battling what appeared to be ankle discomfort throughout the early parts of the game. It started with some modest rushes for two or three yards at a time. 

Then, Jordan exploded for a 50-yard scamper in the third quarter to electrify NRG Stadium and bring Houston roaring to the Arizona 16-yard line for a chance to score.

He never looked back from there, finishing his day with 5:16 left in the fourth quarter on a five-yard run up the middle to top 100+ yards and give the team a fresh set of downs at the goal line. 

Jordan eclipsing the century mark would also be the first time all season that a Texan's running back has done so (the first in the regular season for a Texans rusher since week 13 of 2024 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, J. Mixon - 101 rush. yards). 

Texans head coach Demeco Ryans spoke glowingly of Jordan post-game, expressing,

“Jawhar did an outstanding job for us. He ran the ball very well, efficient, showed the explosiveness, showed the speed that he has and we’ve seen in practice. It just shows whenever your number is called, are you ready for that opportunity. No one knows until you get that moment, and it’s about taking advantage of that moment and not looking back. And I thought Jawhar handled it very well.”

With Marks possibly still favoring his lower-body injury, and Chubb still recovering from his rib injury, Jordan can expect to receive much more on his plate in the coming weeks. 

Even without the injuries, Jordan displayed an explosiveness that has long since eluded this offense. If Jordan has in fact played his way into a more consistent role in the offense, Houston might've just find their one-two punch in 2025's backfield after all. 

Do you think Jawhar Jordan should be considered for a larger role in the Texans' offense? Let us know in the comment section below and on the official Texans Roundtable X account, @Texans_RTB!