Houston Texans Friday Fades: DeAndre Hopkins, Ryan Mallett
Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) rushes. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
3. Arian Foster and all the superlatives that go with his name
What DeMarco Murray has done on the Dallas Cowboys is phenomenal, but what Arian Foster has done on the Houston Texans might be just as impressive. He doesn’t have as good of a passing game easing pressure “in the box”, nor does he have an elite offensive line in front of him. Brandon Brooks, Chris Myers, and Duane Brown all know how to move the pile in the running game, but the Texans have failed to find effective blocking at the TE position, with rookie C.J. Fiedorowicz being a massive disappointment.
Per PFF, only Murray has had more missed tackles forced on rushing plays and more yards after contact per carry than Foster, who has been the clear focal point of the Texans offense. He’s shaken off one injury and will now have to heal up from another one over the bye week, as high usage continues to be an issue for Foster. That said, giving him a high volume of carries clearly helps the team a great deal, and he has made good on his average of 20 carries per game with an outstanding average of 102.1 rushing yards per game. As many of us have said, Foster would be a huge talking point if Murray weren’t putting up even bigger numbers. It’s incredible to think that Foster has seven TDs and over five yards per carry despite the fact that defenses know they are going to be forced to stop him.
4. Calming down on Clowney
In college, Jadeveon Clowney received plenty of unfair criticism, and that’s bled into the NFL, where we’ve heard reports about how the Texans are questioning his toughness etc. We’ve also seen plenty of fans complain about how Clowney has been a rookie disappointment, and all of this is pretty ridiculous indeed. It’s almost insane how much people expect from Clowney and how little patience they have for him. Most people understand that it does take time and that it’s important for a No. 1 overall pick to play it safe with a significant knee injury. Although he hasn’t lit up the competition when he’s been on the field, Clowney has shown flashes of brilliance, and I think he’ll make his presence felt by the end of the year.
5. Quick thoughts on Browns
The Cleveland Browns victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last night was absolute dominance, and the Texans should be worried about some things. First of all, the Browns pass defense could give Mallett some big troubles in the former Patriots backup’s first career start, and the Texans should also be wary of the Browns three-headed rushing attack. The Browns are willing to roll with the hot hand, and it’s possible former Texans back Ben Tate could be that guy. Whenever I look at the Browns deep backfield, though, the player who impresses me the most is Isaiah Crowell, as he has excellent tools.
DeAndre Hopkins is the key in this game, because it’s all about the No. 2 receivers when facing the Browns. After getting beaten up by rookie wideout Mike Evans, CB Buster Skrine dominated Mohamed Sanu, fulfilling a key to victory for the Browns. Of course, Andy Dalton played a huge role in that with his crap-tastic performance, so hopefully Mallett can give his guys a chance to make something happen.