Houston Texans: Running game will be key in Week 4

By Nick Ziegler | Oct 3, 2015

The Houston Texans will be squaring off with the Atlanta Falcons on the road in what will be a difficult game in Week 4.

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The 2015 season got off to a very rocky start for the Texans, as despite winning the starting quarterback job out training camp and the preseason, Brian Hoyer was benched in Week 1 for Ryan Mallett. The Texans were unable to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs with the quarterback change mid-game, as the unheard of move didn’t result in a win.

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In Week 2, the Texans played another challenging game on the road against the Carolina Panthers. In the loss to the Panthers, the Texans were unable to run the ball at all, and that resulted in Mallett throwing the ball 58 times.

After the 0-2 start, the Texans got back to what has made them successful in recent years, and that is running the football.

When healthy, Arian Foster has been one of the best running backs in the league, but his great play has also led to a lot of injuries in his career. The latest of Foster’s long list of injuries occurred in the preseason, as he tore his groin muscle. The injury has cost Foster the first three games of the season, but he is a game-time decision for the Texans against the Falcons on Sunday.

Foster will still likely be limited if he is able to suit up against the Falcons, but the Texans will still need to run the ball effectively with or without Foster.

One of the main reasons the Texans were able to defeat the Tamp Bay Buccaneers in Week 3 was the performance from Alfred Blue. In the win, Blue totaled 139 rushing yards on 31 carries with one rushing touchdown.

Even without Foster, Blue shockingly only totaled 14 carries in the first two weeks of the season. The Texans finally gave the ball to Blue in Week 3, and it resulted in a win.

Sep 27, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Alfred Blue (28) rushes during the fourth quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NRG Stadium. The Texans defeated the Buccaneers 19-9. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Running the ball is going to be key for the Texans all season, but that will be especially true on the road against the 3-0 Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have been one of the biggest surprises to start the 2015 season, as first-year coach Dan Quinn has the Falcons playing good football.

One of the main reasons for the Falcons’ success so far this season has been the great play from Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. The two Falcons have been great players at their position for years, but this season has a different feel for the two, especially Jones.

In three games, Ryan has totaled 946 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, and two interceptions, which are fine numbers so far this season. Jones is off to a ridiculous start to the season, as he has totaled 440 receiving yards, 34 receptions, and four receiving touchdowns.

If the Texans want to slow down Ryan, Jones, and the Falcons’ air attack, the best way to do so is to keep them off the field as much as possible.

Whether it’s Foster or Blue, the Texans need to run the ball a lot on Sunday to hopefully keep the Falcons’ offense on the sidelines if they are going to pull off the road upset.

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