Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak liked what he saw out of backup running back Ben Tate Monday night and wants to keep his carries close to starter Arian Foster's for now.
"I wish it would have come out a little more closer to even; I think I said that after the game," Kubiak said of their split Monday night in San Diego. "Obviously, it was Arian's first time out this year. He didn't play any in the preseason. I think Ben's had an excellent preseason. I want to keep it somewhat close right now and watch them working to [see] what's going on."
Houston faces Tennessee in their first division game this Sunday. The Texans' plan was to alternate the running backs in the season opener. They felt confident in Tate's preseason, in which he was healthy and productive.
In the Texans' 31-28 win against the San Diego Chargers Monday night, Foster had 18 carries for 57 yards, an average of 3.2 yards per carry. Tate had nine carries for 55 yards, an average of 6.1 yards per carry.
Foster finished with six catches to Tate's two, so in terms of total touches, Foster led, 24 to 11. Expect a more even workload in Week 2, though Foster will continue to be the lead back and should get 18-20 touches at a minimum.
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