The Houston Texans have some hope. The team showed progress in their win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and things could be getting better as Arian Foster is set to return sooner rather than later. As Bill O'Brien praises the improving Ryan Mallett and his connection with DeAndre Hopkins, the return of Foster could be what Houston needs to finally get going.
Texans' fans have been patiently awaiting the return of Foster since a groin knocked him out at the start of training camp. The Texans have been hinting at the running back's return for two weeks now and it looks like Week 4 could be when the leading rusher is seen again. O'Brien would not guarantee that Foster plays against the Atlanta Falcons, but simply said the team is hopeful he is back and healthy.
"I think we're close," O'Brien said, via ESPN.com. "I think we're close. I don't know that answer today, [if he'll play], but i think he's close."
The Texans need Foster. While Alfred Blue has done well as the leading rusher, Foster is the x-factor to the offense. Mallett needs a balanced attack if he is going to be successful and Foster represents that more than Blue or Chris Polk do. O'Brien likes what he saw from the quarterback in Week 3 when Houston got the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mallett is looking more and more like the future of the franchise after he replaced Brian Hoyer and O'Brien has confidence that he will continue to improve with the more playing time he gets.
"I think that there are certainly things to improve on, but I thought he managed the game better," O'Brien said, via the Houston Chronicle. "I think he got us into the right play better. I thought his mechanics were better. He was tighter in the pocket. He was a bit more accurate. He completed more balls. I think we were more balanced and I think that helped him."
One thing helping Mallett is his growing connection with DeAndre Hopkins. The receiver was targeted 14 times in Week 3 while catching eight passes for 101 yards. Hopkins is the future of the wide receiver position after the departure of Andre Johnson and he finally played like it in Week 3. Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts have been critical as well while rookie Jaelen Strong continues to struggle. The rookie continues to be a scratch as O'Brien made it clear that once he practices better, he will see more playing time, but Houston is managing without him right now.
