Houston head coach Lovie Smith said Wednesday that Pierce needs to be more involved in the offense, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports. "We need to get Dameon more touches," Smith noted.
Pierce played 29 percent of the offensive snaps in a Week 1 tie with the Colts, while Red Burkhead played 71 percent. Following the game, Smith initially attributed the playing-time split to a game situation that called for more pass-oriented packages, which he said worked in Burkhead's favor. Perhaps after watching game film, Smith is of a different belief. The coach added that both backs will get carries Week 2 against Denver, but the snap counts could be more evenly distributed compared to the season opener.