The Houston Texans may have Arian Foster back sooner than expected from a groin injury and that would be huge for the team in 2015, as Alfred Blue and Chris Polk are set to be the starters and this comes as the offense looked good in the preseason with Brian Hoyer and DeAndre Hopkins looking comfortable together.
The Texans had a QB battle brewing for the summer with Hoyer and Ryan Mallett competing and now Hoyer has been named the starter for Week 1. Head coach Bill O'Brien said the choice was about consistency and he added that if things are not working out, he will not hesitate to make a change. The Texans offense was expecting to rely on Foster heavily this season and he will be out for a stretch with a groin injury.
Foster has dealt with groin issues in the past and initially it looked like Foster could be out for half the season while recovering. According to the Houston Chronicle, the team is still deciding how to handle the injury, as the Texans could put Foster on IR with designation to return, but that would mean he would miss up to half the year. Aaron Wilson at the Chronicle now reports that the team may get back Foster sooner, as a September return is the "best case scenario."
Foster reportedly could miss a month or six weeks with the injury and that would put him in line to be back in action in late September or early October. The Texans success could be linked to Foster, as he is one of the most talented backs in football. Foster comes in after playing in 13 games last season and rushing for 1246 yards and eight touchdowns. The team has depth with Blue, Polk and Jonathan Grimes, but having a Pro Bowl player like Foster gives the Texans a much better chance to make the playoffs.
The QB situation has Hoyer on top and for a moment it looked like Mallett could slip to third string, as he reportedly missed a practice while oversleeping. O'Brien spoke with reporters about the situation and he said that the issue is one that will be handled in house and that Mallett remains the backup. The Texans QB situation is not as bad as some other teams, as Mallett has shown potential, but he has not been as consistent as Hoyer has this offseason.
The Texans are hoping for even bigger things this season from DeAndre Hopkins, as he had a breakout year last year and now Andre Johnson is gone from Houston. Hopkins and Hoyer looked comfortable with each other in the preseason and that will be big if the Texans want to compete this year. Hoyer hit Hopkins with one pass that set up a scoring chance and another that drew a flag that helped set up a touchdown. Hoyer was solid in the game, passing for 82 yards and he will be the starter in Week 1 and through the season if he stays consistent.
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