Redskins @ Texans Week 1 Player Spotlight: Arian Foster

Name: Arian Foster

Position: Running Back

Age: 28

Background:

Arian Foster was undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft and he signed with the Texans on May 1, 2009. Over the next three seasons, Arian Foster proved himself to be one of the best running backs in the league. NFL scouting at its finest, am I right? The only time the Redskins have played against Arian Foster was way back in 2010. During the game, he had 19 carries for 69 yards with 3 catches for 69 yards. His longest run was for 11 yards and his longest catch was a 50 yard one. Foster has been tough to defend over his career, but injuries and a large workload over his career bring into question how effective he will be this season. The Redskins defense will be the guinea pig to determine how effective Foster will be this season. I hope this goes better than the first game of 2013 when the Redskins were the guinea pig for Chip Kelly’s offense.

Skills:

In past seasons, Foster has been a nightmare for opposing defenses. He is a strong runner, a fluid pass catcher, and an all around every down back. Watching Arian Foster on a screen play is amazing and terrifying. In the past, Arian has had a ton of carries. Arian Foster carried the ball 351 times in 2012, 278 times in 2011, and 327 times in 2010. He also carried the ball 127 times through the first 7 games of 2013. According to the Texans Head Coach Bill O’Brian, foster will still be getting the bulk of the playing time and carries. The man is a walking highlight reel, so I think it is best to show you just how dangerous, and personable, Foster can be.

Potential Against Redskins:

While the Redskins usually have a good run defense, foster is one of those guys that does well no matter who he is playing. Giving a running back of his calibur a ton of carries just gives him more chances to break a way a big run. And if the Redskins tackling skills are as bad as least year, Foster will run wild on the field. The best way to deal with his rushing skills is to score early against the Texans and force them to throw the ball. He can be a factor in the passing game, but the Texans do not have a good group of quarterbacks. The Texans offense will want to establish the run with Foster early, and the Redskins defense needs to be ready for him. They did well preventing him from having big runs in 2010, so let us hope they can do it again.

Interesting facts:

Foster’s first name is actually an abbreviation for Aquarian, meaning water bearer. According to his father, it means the "holder of knowledge." Well, that explains that one. Well, I think it does.

Arian foster also has an official website. Arian is also a poet. I bet you didn’t know it.