NFL Predictions Week 6: Arian Foster and Top 3 Rushers

At first glance, it wouldn't seem as though Houston Texans running back Arian Foster is set to have a successful outing against the Baltimore Ravens.

The team boasts one of the top rushing defenses, allowing just 290 yards on the ground while racking up 495 rushing yards of their own. And Foster was limited in Friday's practice, nursing a minor quad injury.

But one look at what he did to the Ravens last season, while they again fielded one of the best defensive squads in the league, and his odds for success today increase exponentially.

In 2010, Foster rushed for 125 yards against Baltimore, and today shouldn't be much different. While the Texans are in danger of becoming more one-dimensional than they were last season, with wide receiver Andre Johnson still recovering from hamstring surgery, there are worse things Houston can do than focus on their starting running back.

While 125 yards might be a bit more than he's likely to get today, Foster should have few problems pushing toward 100 yards. While the Ravens' defense is good, Foster is an even better running back.

The Chicago Bears, on the other hand, used to be a difficult team to run against, but they've been slowing with each passing year. Today the team hosts the Minnesota Vikings, which means we are likely to see yet another rushing clinic led by Adrian Peterson.

He rushed for 122 yards and three first-quarter touchdowns in his team's win over the Arizona Cardinals last week, and he's proved that regardless of the offense's performance around him, he can't be slowed or stopped.

Regardless of how well the Bears appear on defense today, Peterson is above them, just as he's above every defense who has tried to stop him thus far this season. Another 100-plus yard rushing performance from him is far more likely than not.

The weakest team in the league, the St. Louis Rams, takes on the strongest, the Green Bay Packers. While most of the focus has been on the Packers' explosive passing offense, don't forget about their running game, led by James Starks.

While the Packers seem to be a pass-first offense, they do adjust based upon the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents, meaning that while the Rams are as weak against the pass as they are the run, there will be a better balance between the two in order to exploit St. Louis' overall poor defense.

Starks has yet to have a 100-yard rushing day, due in part to that pass-heavy offense and also because he has been splitting carries with fellow back Ryan Grant. But every week, Grant loses more and more snaps to the second-year back.

But with the help of the Rams' defense, Starks has his best chance of the season to put up 100 or more yards and a score or two. The fact that he's active in the passing game also means he could have even more impact on what is a likely blowout in the mismatch of the season.