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    Platoon This

    Follow the leader? Arian Foster laughs at washed up talk, shows he's ready for another major burden

    Chris Baldwin
    Oct 13, 2013 | 1:52 pm

    It always made as much sense as the logic behind the government shutdown. Or Two and a Half Men being a popular show.

    This notion that Arian Foster wasn't quite the same player, that he wasn't quite as devastating an offensive weapon, never held water. Not among anyone who really knew football.

    Still, it persisted in some fantasy football circles — and in the minds of some strangely Ben Tate obsessed Houston Texans fans.

    About that . . . Foster absolutely obliterated any idea that he's not one of the most dominant running backs in the NFL Sunday, tormenting the St. Louis Rams with continuous displays of brilliance. His first carry of the day turned into an 18-yard burst up the right side. Five of his first nine carries went for more than 10 yards. His second-to-last touch of the first half would end up being a 41-yard catch-and-run in which Foster made two Rams whiff tackle attempts in the open field.

    Whether Foster can change the trajectory of this Texans season remains in serious doubt. But his increased role off the field figures to help the franchise somewhere down the road.

    Foster finished the first half with 144 total yards on only 12 touches. Any questions?

    Of course, the Texans also found themselves down 17-6 to a 2-3 St. Louis team. On their way to an embarrassing 31-6 deficit. And there's your dilemma.

    No matter how dominant Foster is he cannot push the Texans to glory as long as the quarterback remains shaky, the defense remains penalty prone and young players like Keshawn Martin keep giving away the football. There are limits to a running back's powers.

    Which doesn't mean Foster's not making a hell of an effort. Foster is doing what he's always done on the football field when given a real chance. What's different is how much responsibility he is taken off of it.

    With Matt Schaub caught in his own personal hell, Arian Foster is emerging as the Texans' new clear offensive leader.

    It's the running back who took it upon himself to call a team meeting after that debacle against the Seahawks. Foster is doing everything he can to try and put the Texans back together again. He's been more available to the local media as the tension has mounted, seemingly making a point of being in front of his locker on Wednesday — the first day of availability — this week.

    No. 23 seems to understand more and more of the burden needs to fall on him in his fifth NFL season. Whether Foster can change the trajectory of this Texans season remains in serious doubt. But his increased role off the field figures to help the franchise somewhere down the road.

    Of course, teams like the Rams would just like some help trying to tackle Foster.

    The Rams built a 10-0 lead — as other Texans jumped into the Schaub meltdown game. Cornerback Kareem Jackson never looked back at the ball and ended up with a 40-yard pass interference penalty that set St. Louis' first touchdown. Rookie wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins held the ball loosely and watched it get ripped out linebacker Alec Ogletree deep in Rams territory.

    And still, No. 23 kept coming at them, darting here . . . no there . . . finding plenty of slices of open field. Foster walked all over Jeff Fisher's team. But he can't change everything alone. No matter how hard he tries.

    Arian Foster is at the top of his game, trying to carry the Houston Texans.

    Arian Foster Texans Rams
      
    Photo by Michelle Watson CultureMapSnap
    Arian Foster is at the top of his game, trying to carry the Houston Texans.
    unspecified
    series/htx-super-season-2013
    news/sports

    O'Brien Talks Tough

    Tough new sheriff: Bill O'Brien sounds like the anti Kubiak, vows to be hard on Texans players

    Chris Baldwin
    Jan 3, 2014 | 1:43 pm
    Tough new sheriff: Bill O'Brien sounds like the anti Kubiak, vows to be hard on Texans players
    Photo by Rob Carr Getty Images
    Bill O'Brien admits he missed the NFL.

    Bill O'Brien certainly hasn't walked timidly into his new job as the head coach/franchise savior of the Houston Texans.

    With large posters of J.J. Watt and Andre Johnson flanking him on either side of an elaborate press conference stage, O'Brien didn't pay homage as much as he demanded a new standard.

    "To me it's about accountability," O'Brien said. "It's about demanding. It's about putting together a fast, physical football team."

    In other words, Mr. Nice Guy went out the window with former Texans coach Gary Kubiak. O'Brien mentioned "accountability" and "demanding" several times in his introductory press conference Friday afternoon at Reliant Stadium. And you can bet the chorus sounded like sweet music to Texans owner Bob McNair.

    CultureMap was the first news outlet anywhere to report that O'Brien was the Texans' top choice to be the team's new coach way back on Dec. 18. This was a McNair driven pick from the beginning and it is the 44-year-old O'Brien's toughness that drew the owner to the former Penn State coach and Bill Belichick assistant.

    "To me it's about accountability. It's about demanding."

    And McNair himself certainly talked tough on introduction day.

    "I'm ready to kick 2013 the hell out the door," McNair said. "Not acceptable. Not what we're going to do in the future."

    McNair went on to talk about O'Brien having shown he's willing to make the hard decisions — something he clearly felt was lacking as the Texans spiraled from Super Bowl schemers into a 2-14 death march in 2013.

    "Some coaches who have been players still think of themselves as players rather than the head of an organization," McNair said. "And have trouble making difficult decisions."

    Kubiak, of course, played quarterback for the Denver Broncos. As for an inability to make tough calls? Just look at how long Kubiak stuck with a flat-lined Matt Schaub and how he kept trying to go back to Schaub even after the Case Keenum call was made.

    O'Brien noted that "there are a lot of good football players on this team." He also declined to take any pressure off himself and describe this makeover of a team with the worst record in the NFL as a rebuilding job.

    "There are a lot of pieces in place here," he said. "It's all about hard work . . . Quick turnaround, rebuilding are labels. I'm not into all that."

    Tom Brady Tough?

    All in all, it's an impressive opening performance for a first-time NFL head coach. O'Brien knows how to command the stage. Texans general manager Rick Smith talked about the new coach's "charisma."

    O'Brien even makes sure to work in the obligatory Texas joke about the cowboy life.

    "Right after this, I'm going to go out and buy my first pair of cowboy boots," he said.

    It's already becoming clear there will be one cowboy in charge of these Texans. One who happens to be a hard-nosed Northeast guy who's probably still most famous for getting into a sideline screaming match with New England Patriots golden boy quarterback Tom Brady.

    "I'm ready to kick 2013 the hell out the door."

    O'Brien downplayed the incident, but it's clearly helped burnish his taskmaster image.

    "You know it's a competitive sports," O'Brien said. "Tom Brady's a great friend. These things happen. The thing that people don't understand is that 30 seconds after it was over, we were sitting together and going over pictures (of game action)."

    The Texans players are clearly intrigued by O'Brien. Veteran center Chris Myers sat amongst the press at the stadium and listened to the new head man.

    There will be a lot more change coming to the stadium. Smith hinted at as much when he noted how the Texans needed a coach who can guide young players.

    It's hard to imagine O'Brien tip toeing around that change. He plans to meet with all the remaining Texans coaches Saturday (as with any head coaching change, it's unlikely many of the current assistants will be kept by O'Brien). He'll tackle the quarterback question later, though it's clear Keenum is still in the picture.

    Almost every new NFL head coach sounds good on introduction day. Especially when the team brings out a marching band for the occasion. But O'Brien sounds tough and no nonsense.

    Just what Bob McNair wanted. This is his call. His makeover. His tough guy.

    Bill O'Brien will not call the Houston Texans a rebuilding team.

    Bill O'Brien presser
      
    Photo by Scott Halleran Getty Images
    Bill O'Brien will not call the Houston Texans a rebuilding team.
    unspecified
    series/htx-super-season-2013
    news/sports

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