San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year last year, breaking a 2 year streak of wide receivers winning the prize. What wide receivers do is impressive, for sure, but there’s this undeniable elegance to running backs. They run a thin line through the defense, sashaying and pirouetting and all sorts of athletics on display. Anything’s on the table for just a few yards of coverage. And the Houston Texans’ Joe Mixon might be one of the most elegant ones on the field right now.

Who better to describe it than Pat McAfee? He’s certainly not a man of few words, so when he’s brief, you know he means it. On an X post after Joe Mixon’s fabulous rushing touchdown, McAfee said “Hey @nflcommish.. Joe Mixon is seemingly untackleable. I’d like it investigated.” Tongue in cheek, of course, there’s no foul play involved, and no reason to get the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell involved. Mixon just happens to be a force of nature when it’s his day.

The touchdown in question came in the second quarter against the Colts, and leveled team scores 10-10. Right after the handoff, Mixon made a break for it, found the specific gap in the defensive line and broke through. He then managed to avoid a trio of defenders, and Colts safeties Nick Cross and Julian Blackmon tumbled into each other like it was the Tom and Jerry Show. Cornerback Jaylon Jones then got hands on Mixon, but the poor soul was dragged along to the end-zone like he weighed a feather. And this is a man who weighs 190lb, give or take. The whole run was nothing short of beautiful to watch.

This is only Joe Mixon’s 5th game for the Houston Texans. With the kind of performances he’s been putting up, it makes you wonder if he could have turned the tide in their 34-7 defeat to the Vikings. Mixon has rushed in excess of 100 yards in nearly every game he’s been in so far. In their close 24-22 loss against the Packers, he scored 2 touchdowns and kept the team in the fight. The Texans definitely have one hell of an asset on their hands, they’ll be glad they traded for him.

Where does Mixon’s performance leave Texans in AFC South?

Well, it’s currently the Houston Texans at the top of AFC South, but the Indianapolis Colts at second. The Texans’ win today placed them at a dominant 6-2 over the ailing 4-4 Colts. But they showed promise today, and a few things going one way instead of the other, and who knows? We could have been looking at two 5-3 teams tied for first. One thing’s for sure though, competition isn’t tight for second place.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans are doing so badly the coaches’ jobs are on the line. Doug Pederson just about managed to save his neck after the Jaguars broke the longest losing streak in the league this season. And then the Titans only just fired Mike Vrabel in January of this year, so maybe that’s why they’ve tolerated Brian Callahan so long. As of now, the Jags sit at a paltry 2-6, with the Titans at a miserable 1-6.

The Texans face the New York Jets and the Detroit Lions next. The Jets shouldn’t trouble them too much, but the Lions might finally hand them their third defeat. They’ve been on a formidable side this year. The Colts, on the other hand, square up against the Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills. Both are going to be challenging games, but it seems the Texans are more likely to secure their position.