Switching on WFAN 660 AM on an East Coast drive brought an unusual sound Monday. The storied New York sports talk radio station — arguably the most important and influential sports station in the country — was talking Houston Texans football, specifically Arian Foster.

"Foster is so good," Mike Francesa, WFAN's signature voice said. "What a back."

Texans fans — and to be fair, fantasy football nuts too — have known this since early last season. But hey, when it comes to a Texas team that doesn't have a big blue star on its helmet, New York can be a little slow on the uptake.

That 20-13 second round playoff loss to Baltimore Ravens is bringing the Texans more national cred than their 11 wins combined though. Their defense is getting praised around the country. ESPN's Mike Greenberg of Mike & Mike in the Morning is already pegging Gary Kubiak's team as a Super Bowl squad with Matt Schaub.

Still, no one's attracting more notice than Foster. That's what happens when you rush for more yards (285) than any back in NFL history has in the first two playoff games of his career. That's what happens when you make an incredible one-armed catch, when you scamper down the sideline for a 28-yard run on another play that the opposing coach just can't believe.

This sudden discovery of Foster, of how fun No. 23 is to watch, pretty much ensures that the Texans will not have a slew of noon starts again next season. If you like the early game — and Houston played at noon in 13 of its 16 regular season games this season — expect to have to adjust.

Houston's going primetime. Expect a return to the Monday Night Football schedule and almost assuredly, the franchise's very first appearance on Sunday Night Football, the real showcase game these days, too.

Foster — one of the most aware athletes in professional sports — seems to sense it too.

"I think we've gained a little respect in this league right now," he says.

With respect comes responsibility, a burden Foster is already embracing.

"I'm going to be a much better football player next year," he says. "I'm going to be faster, stronger, quicker."

Considering that Foster gained 1,841 total yards this season, while missing almost three full games with a hamstring injury and sitting out the regular season finale to rest, that's a scary thought for NFL defenses. An even better Foster would be the best tailback in the NFL. Without question.

Foster should benefit from the return of Schaub, who does not need to be healthy for training camp (the quarterback's Monday guarantee aside) as much as he needs to be healthy for the second half of the season and the playoffs. If general manager Rick Smith can address the Texans' biggest need of the offseason — a legit No. 2 wideout (the Jacoby Jones resigning didn't just hurt Houston against Baltimore) — Foster should be helped even more.

Joining The Millionaires Club

First, the Texans need to sign Foster to a new contract of course, to make the former undrafted free agent one of the highest-paid backs in football. Foster's a restricted free agent, so there's virtually no chance of him going elsewhere (don't even think about it, New York).

As long as Bob McNair's around, Foster figures to remain a Texan. The billionaire owner doesn't even try and hide how much he loves the discard turned superstar.

"All that stuff will work itself out," Foster says.

It's almost never that simple — especially when you're going from a $525,000 single-season contract to a multi-year mega deal. Expect some entertaining tweets from Foster during the process to say the least.

Some players are worth any effort.

The Next Barry?

Foster left little doubt that he's a money player, a pressure player, a postseason player. Kubiak didn't want the ball in any other back's hands against Baltimore. Foster received all 27 Houston handoffs, the sharing time system with second-year tailback Ben Tate getting completely forgotten in the season's telling point.

As it should be.

Tate's a good change of pace, but Foster's the game changer.

Foster is not Barry Sanders. But it's no great stretch to argue he's the most exciting back to come into the league since Sanders. Adrian Peterson may have been better but he'd already shifted from speed to more pure power even before the knee injury that figures to rob him of more of that breakaway burst. Ray Rice looked awfully ordinary against the Texans' defense. Matt Forte may be asked to do even more on a team on the decline, but he lacks Foster's "Did you see that?" factor.

That makes TV superstars.

"Like I said, he's a phenomenal back," says Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, a man who does not exactly heap out praise for opponents (see Suggs' rant on Tim Tebow).

The Vow

Moments after the Baltimore loss, with the sting of how close they came to the AFC Championship Game still settling in, several Texans stood up in the cramped visitor's locker room at M&T Bank Stadium and talked about the need to take the intensity into offseason workouts and OTAs.

Wherever he travels — and with a player as worldly and curious as Foster, you can expect some epic offseason trips — No. 23 sounds like he's already on board.

"I'm just excited about next year," he says." I can't wait to get back to work, to get around the guys and see the kind of moves we make.

"I just can't wait. I love this team."

America may not love the Texans yet. But the rest of the country is catching on.

This was the season in which the Texans got noticed. Next season, they takeoff.

"Next season," Foster says. "Watch out."