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Hall of Fame
Dueling running backs Rice and Foster Share a Mutual Admiration
Whenever Ravens running back Ray Rice carries the football or catches passes Sunday, Arian Foster intends to keep a close watch.
And it's not because the Houston Texans' star is required to observe his counterpart when he's on the sideline at Reliant Stadium. It's because Foster simply wants to.
He would hate to miss a glimpse of a relatively rare breed in NFL circles: a fellow cutting-edge, all-purpose runner.
Whenever Ravens running back Ray Rice carries the football or catches passes Sunday, Arian Foster intends to keep a close watch.
"I think me and Arian and a few other guys, Matt Forte, I just think that we evolve with the change," Rice said. "The change is being the pass-first league. Arian Foster can catch just as good as he can run, but obviously we all get paid to run the ball. We get paid to make plays as well. I just think the way he catches the ball sets him aside from other backs. You got to know where hes at all times.
Sometimes its our job to be a decoy. Those are not the stats that get talked about, but if you know where Arian Foster is all the time and he runs a swing route and he takes a linebacker out, the window opens up for Matt Schaub to make a throw. Its the same over here with me with Joe Flacco. We got to be able to catch just as good as we can run.
Foster has been less of a factor in the passing game this season, with only 11 receptions for 72 yards and one touchdown, but he's caught 138 career passes for 1,386 yards and five touchdowns.
"He can do both, that's what makes him difficult," Ravens linebacker Albert McClellan said. "And he's fast. Everybody knows he's a one-cut guy. So it's not like he's dancing or trying to outrun the edge. He's pretty much just sticking it in there and making one cut."
"Ray's obviously one of the best in the game today," said Foster, who like Rice is a two-time Pro Bowl selection. "I have a lot of respect for him. He's one of those guys I look forward to watching every Sunday. I'm a fan of him."