We have all seen it. Arian Foster alone after the game to let it all set in...His playoff run was over. As fans we weren't sure how to read this initially. Was he disgusted by being "hung out to dry", while the rest of team failed? Was he lamenting his chance to continue to shine in front of a national audience? The look in his eyes..for some reason, we all remember that. Arian Foster almost made it look effortless. Over 130 yards, and 1 td against a famous Ravens run stopping defense that never allowed 100 yds. before in it's playoff existence. Including his performance against the Bengals, he set a new NFL record for most rushing yards by a RB in his first 2 playoff games ...but it wasn't enough...Not having Schaub hurt. Losing Mario hurt, and yes, the anti-awesomeness didn't help .. BUT, next year we really do have something to look forward to..It's not the same ole' there is always next year mantra. Having Schaub back along with the defense WILL put the Texans as Superbowl favorites next year..How fun will 2012-2013 be? ... Especially with #23 Arian Foster is on the verge of being the face of the Texans. In the chron, he promised he will be better, and faster .. After the look in his eyes after the game. . . I have a strong feeling Arian will have his most productive season yet.
Hard to believe this guy went undrafted -- well I guess not if you look at his pro day 40 time (4.71). Just goes to show some athletes are late bloomers. I wonder how many guys have been passed over when they just needed a bit more time to come into their own.
I'd say he has 3/4 more dominant seasons left in the tank... Hopefully he doesn't get injured like most RB's that sign long term deals.. I think he can have a 1500 yd, 14 TD season... plus 70 rec, 600 yds
He will be very good. I'd imagine we will see him hover around the 1300 yards rushing and 550 receiving. Those could easily be higher, but there is no need to run him into the ground when you have Tate to keep him fresh.
Another good thing about Foster is that he doesn't seem to get blown up a lot. Only one of the goal line runs in the Ravens game did he look like he took a bad hit. He seems to be able to deflect most of the force on most tackles, rather than absorb it. This would do wonders for his durability, and as long as he's running in the ZBS, we could be talking about LT type of longevity.
having tate is huge... as donkeymagic said, having a very serviceable backup will help arian stay fresh. i honestly expected a significant drop-off from arian this year but man, he looked afntastic throughout most of the season and ended on as high as an individual note as possible. as long as he stays committed the sky's the limit for him.
I expect to see a lot more of Tate next season now that they'll have more time to scheme them in together, which will be a good thing. So... maybe the production slips a bit. Foster is special though. I wish we could put a dunce hat on all those guys that thought Tate was better when we started the year.
Foster didn't do it "all by himself" , our O-line was making big holes, I'm sure Arian would be the first to say that. There's a reason T.J. didn't get sacked at all either. Also Arian will have 1378 yd's on the ground next year.
Nobody's doubting that this OL is elite. But there are many plays where Arian makes something out of nothing. The one handed catch on the screen and getting yards out of situations that look impossible. Tip toe-ing the sideline for an extra 15 yards. That's all Foster.
An All Pro season just like this year and last. Him and Tate are the best 1-2 punch in the NFL. Now we just need a good #2 receiver.
Yea it is crazy. Jamarcus Russel can go #1 overall but the best running back in the game can't even get selected in 200+picks.
Foster had 1841 yards from scrimmage in 13 games in 2011 1900 yards from scrimmage in 16 games in 2012 would STILL be VERY GOOD. I'd be pleased with that.
I wouldn't be surprised if next year Foster is in the MVP discussion, I think that his hunger to get as far as he possibly can will cause him to have a Monster year next year barring any injuries.
I hope he stays hungry after getting paid. His running style is a thing of beauty and he makes things that would be extremely difficult for 90% of the other backs in the league look pedestrian. If he stays motivated he will be equally good if not better.
he definitely will be better. one thing that sets Arian apart is that he doesn't run with wreckless abandonment. Not to say he doesn't take contact, but he doesn't take the vicious hits that Adrian Peterson does, which I think will extend his career.
he doesn't need to get better. he's an elite player. he alone cannot take the team to the next level. somebody else needs to get better.
