Texans look to Alfred Blue to keep the running game trucking.
Sep 7, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Alfred Blue (28) scores a touchdown on a blocked put during the first half against the Washington Redskins at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
With Foster out, Jonathon Grimes and Alfred Blue will be picking up the slack. On the depth chart, Blue is the next man up and should get a lot of touches. Blue is an LSU product and racked up 1,253 yards on the ground with 11 touchdowns. He also saw limited use as a receiver and as Bill O’Brien likes to have running backs play catch this is Blue’s chance to show he’s ready for prime time. Expect more a running back by committee approach versus using one man for 30 or so touches. This will be a the Texans first chance to see how well their back ups can handle a more heavy load. The last few years we had Ben Tate, who is now with the Browns. How these guys perform will make a big impact on how the Texans operate moving forward. Risking Foster with high carry counts is dangerous. If Blue, Brown or Grimes can shine then O’Brien can let Foster rest more. A very good thing, so yes the Texans look to Alfred Blue to keep the running game trucking today in New York.
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That means Jonathon Grimes and Ronnie Brown will have to show that they are relevant and capable. Grimes is a more fluid runner while Brown has a more barrel into the line approach. Both are capable of producing yards and helping keep the chains moving as the offense get’s going. The question is, will O’Brien rely on the run as he has so far or is the air game on tap now? Something tells me that the ground game will still dominate, but it would be nice to see at least a couple of shots down the field.
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