Perhaps the best illustration ever of how meaningless the NFL's injury reports can be: Friday afternoon the Texans listed RB Arian Foster (groin) as questionable, meaning (in theory) he had a 50 percent chance of playing tomorrow at Cleveland. HC Bill O'Brien called Foster a game-time decision. But late Friday came word that his actual odds of playing were much lower -- perhaps down in the doubtful (25 percent chance) range. Then today it was revealed that Foster did not travel with his teammates to Cleveland, and he was formally downgraded to out (you know: 0 percent chance). So all of this happened as an injury worsened, right, and the team was reacting to shifting circumstances? Erm ... this is an injury Foster suffered in Week 9. The Texans had their bye last week. Foster has not practiced since before that last game. Something tells us Alfred Blue, who should play full-time in Foster's absence, has known for a while now that this was his week. In any event, Blue should be serviceable at worst against a middling Browns defense that has now lost stalwart NT Phil Taylor for the season. Blue averaged 6.0 yards per carry and gained 88 total yards in his only previous start, back in Week 3.
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November 15, 2014
