Atypical Arian Foster looks like an answer

[Allstar]

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcsouth/pos...like-an-answer

Atypical Arian Foster looks like an answer

HOUSTON -- It’s too soon to call it a watershed game, because you have to see what comes after it to know if the Texans’ impressive 34-24 defeat of the Indianapolis Colts is in fact a catapult.

But a record day for Arian Foster means an accelerated transformation for a college philosophy major who’s been cast a bit as a weird, individualistic loner.

“I always like to walk to the beat of a different drummer, that’s always been my style. I’m somewhat of a rebel and I guess it kind of hurt me earlier on,” Foster said. “But I guess when you do well it becomes an attribute and not a flaw.”

He and the Texans' run game were pretty much flawless against the Colts.

The Texans have worked tirelessly to become a more physical football team, and it showed Sunday.

It was a throwback game for the Colts, whose defense has gotten a bit bigger up front and has gotten worn down less often. On this day, they were beaten physically and, it appeared, mentally.

With a rematch against Foster and two dates each with Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew on the calendar, there is cause for concern for the defending AFC champs.

Houston right tackle Eric Winston said the Colts want to disrupt an offense's schedule. Getting an opponent in second-and-10 or third-and-eight shapes the game in favor of Indianapolis' edge rushers, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. The Texans didn’t oblige.

They were balanced in the first half with 12 passes and 11 runs. After intermission, the Texans ran the ball 10 consecutive times and 31 times total, asking Matt Schaub to throw on just five snaps.

“You could tell the Colts were getting frustrated. It seemed like every run was breaking for at least 8 yards,” left tackle Duane Brown said. “That was demoralizing to them and it built our confidence up every time.”

“They just kept pounding us until we broke,” Indy cornerback Kelvin Hayden said.

Foster, an undrafted free agent the Texans signed out of the University of Tennessee in 2009, praised the offensive line. Winston said the physical mentality was completely pervasive.

“I saw [wide receiver] Kevin Walter one time come flying in there and crack the safety,” he said. “… [Fullback] Vonta Leach, I haven’t heard those kind of collisions in a while. He was absolutely making some guys pay out there.”

The Texans have won games before that were supposed to elevate them to a new frontier. In time we found out they weren’t quite so meaningful. This one can be different, they said. It was first on the schedule, so it set the tone. It was over the Colts, who are the measuring stick and the target.

These Texans have a back to ride when they choose to try to do so, or need to milk some clock. Foster can make Schaub’s play-action more dangerous, and create more opportunity and space for Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels.

His teammates will love him for it.

And some will talk with him about his atypical interests -- “I like the poetry he writes,” Winston said. “I think it’s really insightful." And some may not -- Andre Johnson joked that he’s not planning any philosophical discussions about the Great Pyramids with Foster.

But like virtually everyone else in the winning locker room, Johnson lauded Foster’s work ethic and said he’s a quality teammate.

Who knows, perhaps Foster’s natural inclination to go against the crowd might be the ingredient that helps him be an effective running back.

“I like to go against the grain,” he said. “If you study history, usually the majority is wrong …. A lot of the monotonous thing that goes on with people in general, I just kind of do my own thing. When I first got here, there were a lot of flamboyant personalities and I just kind of stayed to myself.

“That can kind of be looked at as, 'He stays off to himself, he’s not a team guy.' As you grow as a player and get respect on the field, it turns into, 'Oh, that’s just him …' Sometimes I don’t talk. Sometimes I hold a lot of stuff in. I’m not as personable sometimes. I really am -- but I just don’t feel like talking.”

As Foster’s billing as the Texans' starter and the answer to their run-game woes gained momentum during the offseason, I did a lot of tempering. Two great starts at the end of last season amounted to an awfully small sample size.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak agreed with me on that. But he said those games, along with Foster’s work leading up to them and all the Texans have learned about him since, provided plenty of reasons to believe.

It’s hard not to believe after Sunday.

“I think we have a real chance to be as balanced as we’ve ever been here,” Winston said. “I think he’s going to be a great back in this system. I think he’s shown he’s a great back in this system. I think he’s the kind of hammer that we need.”

[Marcus]

Yeah, it's going to be fun reading all the national articles this week.

[kwayshauntay]

Seems kind of like Ricky Williams.

[TimeKiller]

Originally Posted by Hayden

“They just kept pounding us until we broke,” Indy cornerback Kelvin Hayden said.

"Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. We give up."

[HuttoKarl]

Originally Posted by kwayshauntay

Seems kind of like Ricky Williams.

If he ends up being half the RB that Ricky Williams could have been minus the dope, I'll be a happy camper.

One great game down...15 more to go.

[Malloy]

Originally Posted by kwayshauntay

Seems kind of like Ricky Williams.

My thought exactly, in a good way too!

[GP]

And some will talk with him about his atypical interests -- “I like the poetry he writes,” Winston said. “I think it’s really insightful."

[Kaiser Toro]

“You could tell the Colts were getting frustrated. It seemed like every run was breaking for at least 8 yards,” left tackle Duane Brown said. “That was demoralizing to them and it built our confidence up every time.”

“They just kept pounding us until we broke,” Indy cornerback Kelvin Hayden said.

That is what has been missing in Houston since this franchise's inception.

[Thorn]

Poetry? There's no poetry in football. It he wasn't bigger than me and would kick my ass into dust I'd take Foster's man card away from him. LOL

[GP]

Originally Posted by Kaiser Toro

That is what has been missing in Houston since this franchise's inception.

What was it you had put as your signature awhile back?

"I want to destroy the other team's love for the game of football" or something like that.

Always enjoyed reading that little line of text.

[Kaiser Toro]

Originally Posted by GP

What was it you had put as your signature awhile back?

"I want to destroy the other team's love for the game of football" or something like that.

Always enjoyed reading that little line of text.

I want to destroy the opponent's natural love for the game. Mission was accomplished.

[kwayshauntay]

I wonder if he demanded that the press ask their questions in pterodactyl...

[IDEXAN]

I got one question regarding this rushing offense: just how much difference did replacing Studdard with Wade at LG make ?

[DeMarCushPoll]

The Texan's need to lock Foster up with a long term contract RIGHT NOW!!! If I'm not mistaken, he's in the last year of his contract. I don't want him going anywhere near free agency at the end of the season. GET IT DONE NOW!

[Ranger Tom]

Originally Posted by DeMarCushPoll

The Texan's need to lock Foster up with a long term contract RIGHT NOW!!! If I'm not mistaken, he's in the last year of his contract. I don't want him going anywhere near free agency at the end of the season. GET IT DONE NOW!

+1

If Ben Tate fully recovers for next year, I dare say we'll have one of the greatest offenses in the history of the game.

[thunderkyss]

I like our running game.

Unlike the game we had in 2008, which was all Slaton, I think this is real.

I think 2008, we found fools gold, with our change of pace back outperforming the role we drafted him for. Our OLine didn't play that well that season, and those big plays were Slaton's ability to make something out of nothing.

2008, we did some good things on the OL, but not like what we saw yesterday. What we saw yesterday had a lot to do with who we played, but still very good line play on our side as well.

Good line play, & good vision, balance, power, and speed.. I think we've finally got the real thing in H-town.

[powerfuldragon]

Originally Posted by Thorn

Poetry? There's no poetry in football. It he wasn't bigger than me and would kick my ass into dust I'd take Foster's man card away from him. LOL

samurai were poets too.

[GP]

Originally Posted by Kaiser Toro

I want to destroy the opponent's natural love for the game. Mission was accomplished.

Now THAT is poetry.

[TexansForTheW]

Foster does come off like Ricky Williams. Foster ran a 4.6 at the combine, is it me or did I notice the guy has some wheels? Maybe he is man who ups his game during the game. He has football speed, but what sets him apart from any back we have ever had is his vision. Beautiful to watch his one cut and go rushing attack.

[No More 8-8's]

Arian Foster: Poetry in Motion.