For the second straight week, the Giants received news a few hours before kickoff about the availability of a key player on the opposing team. Running back Arian Foster, the player identified by the Giants all week as the key to the Texans attack, is inactive for Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium with a hamstring injury.
A week ago, quarterback Carson Palmer was deactivated 90 minutes before the game, which figured to be a huge advantage to the Giants. It did not turn out that way, as Drew Stanton made his first NFL start since 2010 and helped the Cardinals to a 25-14 victory, spoiling the Giants’ home opener.
Foster played last week against the Raiders and showed no sign of any hamstring issue. He leads the Texans with 241 rushing yards and his 55 carries was tops in the league through two weeks. The Texans ran the ball more often than any team in the NFL in the first two weeks and that ball-control style led them to a 2-0 record, with victories over the Redskins and Raiders.
Without Foster, the Texans are likely to go with a running back by committee, with rookie Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes and Ronnie Brown carrying the load. Blue was set to start in place of Foster.
There were no surprises in the Giants inactives: LB Jon Beason, WR Odell Beckham Jr., LB Devon Kennard, OT Charles Brown, DE Kerry Wynn, OL James Brewer and DT Jay Bromley.