Foster possible to play against Buccaneers

Published 11:35 pm Monday, September 21, 2015

HOUSTON (AP) — The quarterback switch to Ryan Mallett didn’t keep the Houston Texans from starting 0-2. They’re hoping Arian Foster’s eventual return reverses their fortunes.

Coach Bill O’Brien didn’t rule out the star running back returning to the lineup this week. O’Brien said Monday that Foster (groin) is listed day to day ahead of the Texans’ Week 3 home date against Tampa Bay.

Foster was injured during training camp and Alfred Blue, Chris Polk and Jonathan Grimes have taken his snaps by committee.

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Foster was injured during training camp and Alfred Blue, Chris Polk and Jonathan Grimes have taken his snaps by committee.

“The running back position, that’s the way it’s going to be,” O’Brien said. “We’re going to rotate guys in and out of there, different guys for different schemes, different personnel groupings, things like that. I think the offensive line has played a little bit inconsistent, but at times they’ve looked really good. There’s been some yards out there that maybe we’ve missed.”

In three games, Polk leads the Texans in rushing with 19 carries for 60 yards. Polk rushed for 38 yards on 14 carries in the 24-17 loss to Carolina on Sunday.

No Texans tailback has a rushing touchdown in 2015. Foster rushed for 1,246 yards and eight touchdowns in 2014.

Getting better results from the running game is a collective effort, O’Brien said.

“I think sometimes there were things that we could do both up front and from the quarterback position to get us into the right play,” he said. “The overall execution of the running game from the basics of the hand off, and how we’re executing the running as it relates to the scheme in the backfield, those things can be better, the blocking can be better.”