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Do you think Arian's vegan diet has made him a lesser RB this year?

Vegan diet affecting Foster's performance this year?

  • Yes

    Votes: 19 22.1%
  • No

    Votes: 55 64.0%
  • Not sure

    Votes: 12 14.0%

  • Total voters
    86

GP

Go Texans!
Because I don't want to talk X's and O's after that worthless "game" vs. GB. This is to deflect from the real news, so please just go sit and spin if you want to come here and be a jerk about it. I need off-the-wall football talk for a change.
 

GP

Go Texans!
I voted YES.

When a D-lineman brushes Arian's leg and he falls down, yeah he's not the same guy. When he falls down even when not making a really hard Arian-like cut on the grass, yeah he's not the same guy.

When he hits one guy and falls down, yeah. He's not the same guy.

I just think he lacks the stamina and power he had prior to this season.

Not trying to be a hater. I thought that maybe he could do alright on it, figuring he would have the best in the vegan culture helping him to maintain his previous years of success as the best RB in the league, but he isn't. IMO.
 

76Texan

Hall of Fame
I'm not sure about power, but the vegan way is known to help you with plenty stamina. My sister is around 100 lbs and she has done the 150 mile ride to Austin for the last 5 years, along with many a 5 to 25 K runs (starting in her late 40s through her early 50s). My younger brother, who isn't a strict vegan, had done the ride from San Francisco to LA twice in his late 30s (nearly 400 miles.)
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Because I don't want to talk X's and O's after that worthless "game" vs. GB. This is to deflect from the real news, so please just go sit and spin if you want to come here and be a jerk about it. I need off-the-wall football talk for a change.
I voted "Not Sure" But, if we're asking the question & haven't found the answer in 6 weeks, who gives a shiz, buy the man a T-Bone


or two. Next week, we pay the Ravens. Two Dallas Cowboy running backs ran for 90 yards on them today. Two Dallas Cowboy running backs ran for 90 yards on the Baltimore Ravens defense today, at M&T Bank Stadium.

If Arian doesn't go off on the Ravens........ I'd like to see the guys force feeding him a can of SPAM!!!!
 

fiasco west

All Pro
not sure...but I can't help but think he's lost some power.

Previous years he was HARD to bring down! He'd break tackles and now it seems like he's such a finesse runner that if he's touched he goes down.

I do think the right side of the line has something to do with it (Briesel...enjoy your time in Oakland.....) but I can't help but wonder if he's lost some of his power. He used to be such a all-around back and now he feels much more like a finesse back y'know?
 

Marcus

Windmill cancer survivor
Contributor's Club
Losing Winston and Biscuit has made Foster a lesser running back this year.

O-linemen, they're kind of a big deal.
Uh yeah, that O-line, they never really count for much, do they?

:ohsnap: Wait a minute! We can't talk about the O-line, can we? That would involve X's and O's.

:rolleyes:
 

Corrosion

Idealist
Staff member
No .... I think Briesel and Winston being in different uniforms hurts him more than anything else .... but I realize there was no way to keep some of those players that were let go. Better hope Jones , Caldwell , Newton and Harris figure it out soon.
 

Norg

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
sure why not ill say yeah


aint nothing wrong with having a little meat now and then

o and winston sucked and Mike B was always hurt ..... jus saying there apart of the problem but arian is also apart of the problem
 

RTP2110

All Pro
I don't think it's all on the o-line. When the holes are there, Foster will get 7 to 10 yards, but we are not seeing the 30 and 40 yard runs like we have in the past.
 

rmartin65

Phil Kessel: Nice Guy. Tries Hard.
Not sure. I lean towards yes, but because of the changes on the line I cannot say definitively. He definitely looks smaller, and seems to go down easier.
 
last night seemed he went down more from tripping over his own feet then defenders..there was times he was wide open for a good run and he trips over his dam feet..that to me is a lesser arian..he looks average this year..dude is getting payed millions...kubiak needs to nut up and feed him meat. in any other business if you was costing the boss buisness you would change your ways or get fired..why is arian a exception? hes obviously not producing and his diet is affecting his tougnhess yet the coaches let this go on..your in the nfl where you easily burn 5k calories a game. I highly doubt arian gets that from nuts...
 

TexanSam

Hall of Fame
last night seemed he went down more from tripping over his own feet then defenders..there was times he was wide open for a good run and he trips over his dam feet..that to me is a lesser arian..he looks average this year..dude is getting payed millions...kubiak needs to nut up and feed him meat. in any other business if you was costing the boss buisness you would change your ways or get fired..why is arian a exception? hes obviously not producing and his diet is affecting his tougnhess yet the coaches let this go on..your in the nfl where you easily burn 5k calories a game. I highly doubt arian gets that from nuts...
:facepalm:
 

Thorn

Dirty Old Man
Well, for whatever reason, Arian is not running as well this year. Probably a combination of things and not any one thing. I doubt very seriously munching nuts and seeds instead of steaks has anything to do with it though.
 

Hervoyel

BUENO!
I voted "No". I think poorer run blocking has contributed to him being statistically a lesser RB this year. I think that I've never seen him slip so many times before though that's been the case at home and away so I don't know how to categorize that.

It appears to me that better defenses have figured out how to stop our run game while at the same time our passing game hasn't made great strides. AJ's older, Matt's still "Matt", and the rest of the wideouts are one AJ knee injury away from doing their Houdini bit again.

I think Foster would benefit from mixing Tate in more but that's just me. Why they aren't doing it I don't know.
 

GP

Go Texans!
Good conversation thus far.

He looks off to me. Just like someone else said earlier in this thread: "Dallas had two 90-yard rushers on the Ravens..." so to me it's time to see if this is a blocking thing or a lesser Arian thing.
 

IlliniJen

Hall of Fame
It's a complex mix of o-line, not mixing in more Tate and Foster. There's never an "either/or" answer to stuff like this.

IMHO, human bodies do best on a moderate and complete diet that includes animal protein. If you're a normal person with a desk job, an intelligently planned vegan diet probably works well for you. But when you're a professional athlete playing at the top level with other professionals, you need to keep your machine in tip top shape. What % this affects in Foster's production is up for anyone's guess. I'm not going to blame his lack of production on his diet, but if you ask me if it makes him better, worse or the same, I'm going to lean to worse.
 

eriadoc

Texan-American
When he falls down even when not making a really hard Arian-like cut on the grass, yeah he's not the same guy.
Well, unless you think vegan means he's out there eating the turf and therefore messing it up for the game that day, I really don't see how slipping has anything int he world to do with a vegan diet. LOL

I voted no, and the reason is right there on your DVR. During the course of the game, you're too invested int he outcome of a play to actually analyze it. But go back now and watch how many times he's hit behind the LOS. Hell, on one of his TD runs, the LOS was at the 2 yard line and he juked a guy as soon as he got the ball - behind the 5 yard line. He's juking guys 3 yards behind the LOS? That's not on Arian.

The OL is just bad this year. There's no sugar coating it. They're not 2002 awful, but for a SB-caliber team, they are bad. It's the team's Achilles heel.
 

Cjeremy635

Overtraining
I think he took that vegan diet too far and now it appears that he turned into a newborn f'in baby deer out there. Those wobbly a$$ legs better find their footing, ASAP.

 
Here is the thing...you don't generally go from meat eater to pure vegan overnight. Foster was likely already a vegetarian prior to becoming a vegan.
 

Vinny

shiny happy fan
thinking it would be business as usual when you replace the entire right side of the line....

Ok maybe not. I think Foster looks sluggish too though. With Foster looking sluggish, Andre looking sluggish, this offense looked slow last night. Forsett didn't look that slow and neither did Tate so I know its not my imagination.
 

eriadoc

Texan-American
thinking it would be business as usual when you replace the entire right side of the line....
Yeah, the way they went about that has bothered me from the beginning. I had serious reservations about the OL in the offseason and preseason, and they've persisted throughout the regular season.
 

Marcus

Windmill cancer survivor
Contributor's Club
The vegan diet ... No.

But . . . If someone were to create a poll (it ain't gonna be me) asking if he's pulling a Chris Johnson on us .......

:)
 

Perki-Perk

DieHard Texan!
All the facepalms are silly. Arian's looks different this year as an individual. You cannot deny that unless you are a complete homer and Arian is one of my favorite players due to both personality and what he is capable of. I don't know if the kid needs a steak, but this isn't all on the offensive lines. He's getting tripped by hand tackles this year, and not breaking them like he used to. Don't be blind, be realistic.
 

Cjeremy635

Overtraining
All the facepalms are silly. Arian's looks different this year as an individual. You cannot deny that unless you are a complete homer and Arian is one of my favorite players due to both personality and what he is capable of. I don't know if the kid needs a steak, but this isn't all on the offensive lines. He's getting tripped by hand tackles this year, and not breaking them like he used to. Don't be blind, be realistic.
I also don't think he's making the right read at the line. On a few of the replays I've seen, it looks like there is a hole in another gap, but he picked the wrong lane to cut through and ends up in the mix of tacklers and lineman. I'm not sure what's really going on. It's a head scrather for sure.
 

buddyboy

Rookie
All the facepalms are silly. Arian's looks different this year as an individual. You cannot deny that unless you are a complete homer and Arian is one of my favorite players due to both personality and what he is capable of. I don't know if the kid needs a steak, but this isn't all on the offensive lines. He's getting tripped by hand tackles this year, and not breaking them like he used to. Don't be blind, be realistic.
Agreed. While I, personally, don't think it's the diet (there are just too many changed variables to take into account), it is a definite POSSIBILITY, and at the very least, while probably not THE contributing factor, it might be A contributing factor.
 

utahmark

markbeth
I try to eat vegan and I feel lots better when I do. Get better sleep, have more energy, just feel better overall. I can't believe eating vegan would do anything but help Arian.

What is wrong with Arian is his offensive line. Running backs are useless with out them. Thats why I hate spending money or using high draft picks on running backs. Especially when you have to let offensive lineman go to accommodate them.
 

fiasco west

All Pro
All the facepalms are silly. Arian's looks different this year as an individual. You cannot deny that unless you are a complete homer and Arian is one of my favorite players due to both personality and what he is capable of. I don't know if the kid needs a steak, but this isn't all on the offensive lines. He's getting tripped by hand tackles this year, and not breaking them like he used to. Don't be blind, be realistic.
Remember the Steelers game?
The playoff games?

He just looked a lot more explosive and dynamic. He does not now. Even when he has the blocking we are not seeing those plays we are used to seeing. Yeah our Oline needs to improve but Foster does too. He's going down on first touch, getting tripped up by his own feet as well.
 

Perki-Perk

DieHard Texan!
Agreed. While I, personally, don't think it's the diet (there are just too many changed variables to take into account), it is a definite POSSIBILITY, and at the very least, while probably not THE contributing factor, it might be A contributing factor.
He definitely looks a bit weaker and off balance and when the workout hasn't changed, you have to look at the diet. Sure, some of the holes aren't there, but when they are, just not the same Arian I'm used to seeing. I've see a couple runs where the past couple of years, as someone else pointed out, he'd be gone for 30+, but instead, he got tripped up for a 7 yard gain. If Arian's mom reads this, let him know he's got full support and we're rooting for him. Also, would be interesting to know Arian's take on the situation.
 

2012Champs

Hall of Fame
He has had a number of slips even outside of reliant and he doesnt seem to be running the same. I do not think it is diet that has caused any of this however
 

Trail.Blazr

Hooked up to a Kool-Aid IV
I voted YES.

When a D-lineman brushes Arian's leg and he falls down, yeah he's not the same guy. When he falls down even when not making a really hard Arian-like cut on the grass, yeah he's not the same guy.

When he hits one guy and falls down, yeah. He's not the same guy.

I just think he lacks the stamina and power he had prior to this season.

Not trying to be a hater. I thought that maybe he could do alright on it, figuring he would have the best in the vegan culture helping him to maintain his previous years of success as the best RB in the league, but he isn't. IMO.
I voted no, simply because I can't attribute what you point out to his diet. Even to speculate his diet has connection to his ability to stay on his feet seems like a big stretch that falls more on the side of coincidence than probability. Even in last nights game, Arian was falling down on the back field, but so was Tate. I simply don't see a connection to diet.
 

Double Barrel

Texans Talk Admin
Staff member
Contributor's Club
The vegan diet ... No.

But . . . If someone were to create a poll (it ain't gonna be me) asking if he's pulling a Chris Johnson on us .......

:)
You hate to question a man's heart, but the truth is that Arian's payday validated him.

If you follow his career arch, he has played the best when he's had something to prove.

As an undrafted free agent, he had to prove that he belonged in the NFL.

Then, once he earned his roster spot, he had to prove that he deserved to be a starter.

But now, he's been paid and lost his chip on the shoulder. He's now widely considered to be one of the best RBs in the league. What's left to prove?

I dig the guy, but it's obvious that his game is not what it was last year. Not sure about the diet thing, but I think his motivation and losing the right side of the OL has had the biggest impacts on his game.
 

b0ng

Bad Hombre
Tony Gonzales has been a vegan for a lot longer than Foster. If the person in question has a true desire to succeed then a vegan diet wont stop them.
 

TexanSam

Hall of Fame
But now, he's been paid and lost his chip on the shoulder. He's now widely considered to be one of the best RBs in the league. What's left to prove?

I dig the guy, but it's obvious that his game is not what it was last year. Not sure about the diet thing, but I think his motivation and losing the right side of the OL has had the biggest impacts on his game.
Maybe people doubting him now that he got the contract will light a fire under him (assuming he's lost that chip on his shoulder).

My guess is that the inconsistency on the offensive line has hurt his decision making. With Briesel and Winston there, he knew that they would create a hole for him to run through. With Newton/Harris and Caldwell/Jones there now, that hole isn't there anymore (or not nearly as often) so he has to wait to see if it will open up or if he has to try and take it outside instead. I think the O-line not creating lanes like he was used to has caused him to doubt what he can do out of the backfield. This is all just speculation of course. Foster hasn't been terrible (he ran over the Jaguars and Jets) but he hasn't been his usual self.
 

Double Barrel

Texans Talk Admin
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Maybe people doubting him now that he got the contract will light a fire under him (assuming he's lost that chip on his shoulder).
It's pure speculation on my part. I do not know Foster, but as an NFL fan for decades, we often see these types of cycles with many players.

Based on that history of cycles, his rebound would be in 2013 after an off-season of being doubted by the national media for a sub-par season in 2012.

Obviously, I hope this is not the case, but it certainly would not be the first time it's happened to a player.

My guess is that the inconsistency on the offensive line has hurt his decision making. With Briesel and Winston there, he knew that they would create a hole for him to run through. With Newton/Harris and Caldwell/Jones there now, that hole isn't there anymore (or not nearly as often) so he has to wait to see if it will open up or if he has to try and take it outside instead. I think the O-line not creating lanes like he was used to has caused him to doubt what he can do out of the backfield. This is all just speculation of course. Foster hasn't been terrible (he ran over the Jaguars and Jets) but he hasn't been his usual self.
I honestly think this is the biggest change that has influenced the running game. The old mantra that games are won/lost in the trenches is true. Linemen are often overlooked, but the fact of the matter is that the successful lines are the ones developed over many years together. They start to instinctively know each other and the RBs and QBs feed off of that consistency.

What has been grinningly obvious over the first six games is that the right side of our OL has taken a serious downgrade. I see a lot of pressure from that side and the running lanes are not opening up. We see the calls going to the left a lot, and other teams are taking notice and playing that side of the field strong.
 

Vinny

shiny happy fan
I see a lot of pressure from that side and the running lanes are not opening up. We see the calls going to the left a lot, and other teams are taking notice and playing that side of the field strong.
no matter who is playing, the RG keeps getting clowned this season. many of those disrupted pass plays come from pressure right up the gut.

If Kubiak can't strait up fool you with play action his pass routes that are slow developing we are in trouble. I think this offense was eating kittens early in the year with the weak schedule.

Now that all this is on film we may be in for a rough stretch....I'd say that I'm hopeful that Kubiak can scheme his way out of this but where is he getting more speed from? This offense can't do what it needs to do if AJ can be taken away at will and the RB is running more like Ron Dayne than A Foster. Then we still have line issues.
 
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