Lamar Miller on Texans' offense: 'They use you to your skill set'

An elusive runner with speed, Texans running back Lamar Miller established himself with the Miami Dolphins as a versatile breakaway threat.

Although Miller generated 1,269 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns last season as he rushed for 872 yards and eight touchdowns with 47 receptions for 397 yards and two scores, he averaged just 12 carries and three catches for 15 touches per game during his final season in Miami.

As Miller prepares to make his regular-season debut with the Texans on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, he's upbeat about his role in an offense designed to utilize his talents as a three-down back. Miller is the replacement for former Pro Bowl runner Arian Foster, who's now starting for the Dolphins.

"They use you to your skill set, whatever your strong suit is, to the best of my abilities," said Miller, who signed a four-year, $26 million contract in March. "They get guys in space and try to make big plays and keep the chains moving."

Two years ago, Miller averaged 14 carries and two catches for a career-high 1,099 rushing yards and 1,374 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns. He caught 38 passes for 275 yards. The 5-10, 225-pounder has rushed for 2,930 yards and 19 touchdowns with 117 receptions for 887 yards and three scores in four NFL seasons.

The Texans are pleased with how Miller has acclimated to the offense.

"He's been good," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "He's a very hard-working guy. He's a smart guy. He's quiet and he leads by example. He's out there all the time. I think that he's come in here and picked up our offense well.

"We limited his plays during the preseason, to me, for obvious reasons. We want to keep him healthy, but also try to get him some work so he may not have had the flashy stats during the preseason that maybe some other backs had, but I don't really care about that. I think that he's ready to play and looking forward to seeing him play on Sunday."

Lamar Miller generated 1,269 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns last season for Miami. Lamar Miller generated 1,269 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns last season for Miami. Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Lamar Miller on Texans' offense: 'They use you to your skill set' 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

A Miami native who played at the University of Miami, Miller played his entire career in South Florida at the high school, college and professional levels until joining the Texans this year.

"I'm pretty excited," Miller said. "First opportunity to play in front of a new atmosphere and new fans. I'm just ready for an opportunity. Whenever my number is called, I want to make positive plays."