Early Tate time?
Kubiak "hoping" Arian Foster is ready for Week One: Colts-Texans could be abattle of missing stars
Could Texans quarterback find himself handing off to someone besides ArianFoster for most of the season opener?Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Peyton Manning is already expected to miss the game for the Colts.
Ben Tate had better stay ready.Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Virtually no one expects Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning to play in Week One against the Houston Texans. Now, the Texans could be without one of their offensive lifelines as well — running back Arian Foster — in that pivotal AFC South showdown.
In his postgame news conference after a 30-7 drubbing of the hapless San Francisco 49ers in a meaningless preseason game, a game that saw Foster limp to the sidelines after his eighth carry of the first quarter, Texans coach Gary Kubiak said he is "just hoping" that Foster's hamstring injury doesn't linger.
"We don't think it's anything more serious than what we were dealing with before," Kubiak said. "I'm just hoping . . . he'll be ready for opening day."
Foster — who racked up an NFL-high and Texans-record 2,220 yards from scrimmage in his breakout 2010 season — hurt his hamstring on the first day of training camp. He skipped 11 days of practice and the first preseason game, but looked like his old, explosive, quick-cutting self in his return — part of an impressive show from the first-team offense against the New Orleans Saints, a darkhorse NFC Super Bowl contender.
As soon as Foster made a move on that eighth carry against the 49ers Saturday night, it was apparent he'd hurt himself again though. More hamstring trouble, the type of injury that's been known to linger through a season.
Now the anxious wait to see if it heals in time for that Sept. 11 Colts game at Reliant Stadium begins. The Texans have much better options to play in place of Foster (second-year wonder Ben Tate and veteran Derrick Ward) than the Colts do to replace Manning (signing Kerry Collins out of retirement strikes fear in the heart of no one — except maybe Kerry Collins).
But the Texans are not close to the same team without Foster's multi-dimensional gifts either. Kubiak did say that Foster's injury is not the one that concerns him the most from the game. But what's a coach supposed to say?
For more on the injury and why I think Kubiak should be kicking himself for inexcusably playing Foster much more than he should have against the 49ers, check out a full CultureMap column on the issue.
