Arian Foster: Texans Shouldn't Rush Superstar's Return

If the Houston Texans missed injured running back Arian Foster on Sunday, they certainly didn't show it.

In case you missed it, the Texans dominated the Peyton Manning-less Indianapolis Colts from start to finish in their season opener. It was 34-0 by halftime, and the Colts would manage just a single meaningless touchdown in the second half to lose by the final of 34-7.

So in the end, the Texans started their 2011 season much like they started their 2010 season: by putting 34 points on the board and beating the Colts. The only difference is that Foster wasn't around to run for 231 yards and three touchdowns.

Exactly when Foster's strained left hamstring is going to be healthy enough for him to play again seems to be anyone's guess at this point. On Monday, the word from HoustonTexans.com was that the Texans want to see him practice before making a ruling on his status for this Sunday's game at the Miami Dolphins. They're hoping they will see Foster practice on Wednesday, but Texans head coach Gary Kubiak didn't sound so sure.

“He worked out today,” he said. “Worked very hard today and worked good. He will come back in tomorrow and work again. I would like to sit here and hope that he would be on the field Wednesday, but we’ll see."

So just as it has been for a couple weeks now, it's pretty apparent that Foster's hamstring is a day-to-day thing.

Which makes sense, of course. We are, after all, talking about a hamstring injury. These things tend to linger, and the healing process is hard to monitor. Anybody who has ever had to deal with a hamstring issue can vouch.

The good news for the Texans is that they are in something of an enviable position when it comes to Foster’s status. While they could certainly declare him good to go as soon he shows the slightest indication that he is, they can afford to bide their time.

This has a lot to do with Ben Tate. With Foster inactive and Derrick Ward sidelined for much of the Colts game with a sprained ankle, Tate ended up rushing for 116 yards on 24 carries. Not exactly Foster-like numbers, but Tate at least showed that he can handle a heavy workload if called upon.

The other thing working in the Texans' favor is their upcoming schedule. Playing at Miami and then at the New Orleans Saints is not going to be easy, but we've already seen on this young season that both of these teams can be beaten through the air. That's an open invitation for Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson to go to town.

The biggest reason the Texans should be in no rush with Foster, though, has everything to do with the division they play in. Judging from what we saw this weekend, the Texans are probably going to be the only legitimate playoff contender in the AFC South. In fact, the Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans look like they could be three of the worst teams in the conference. All the Texans need to do this season is outlast them, which shouldn't be difficult for a team as loaded as they are.

So why rush things? The Texans have an open road to the playoffs. Foster can hop on for the ride when he's good and ready, and not a moment sooner.

Before you say it, nobody cares about your fantasy team. Just ask Foster.