Atlanta Falcons

Arian Foster could play against Falcons in Week 4

Published Sep. 30, 2015 10:38 a.m. ET

foxsports

By Steve DelVecchio

The Houston Texans have struggled to score points through the first three weeks of the season, and a lot of that has to do with Arian Foster being out with a groin injury. Fortunately, it appears that help is on the way.

Texans coach Bill O’Brien has labeled Foster a game-time decision for Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder. O’Brien said he won’t know Foster’s status until roughly 90 minutes before game time.

Earlier this week, O’Brien said Foster is “close” to making his return. It should be noted that the 29-year-old has yet to get in a full week of practice, so he probably needs to do more before he can suit up for an actual game.

Texans running back Alred Blue broke out last week with 31 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but those types of performances will be outliers for him. That is the type of stat line we are used to Foster posting on a weekly basis, and the 1-2 Texans could certainly use him to develop a more balanced attack.

It initially looked like Foster would be out longer than four games when he suffered the groin injury in training camp, but perhaps these comments from team owner Bob McNair served as motivation for him. Expect Foster to handle a full workload as soon as he is healthy enough to return.

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