Running back Ryan Moats almost single-handedly carried Houston to a Week 8 win at Buffalo -- scoring three rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the Texans turned a 10-9 deficit into a 31-10 victory.He'll be rewarded for that effort, too. Houston coach Gary Kubiak told ESPN's Bob Holtzman that Moats will be his team's starting back when the Texans play in Indianapolis Sunday, according to Adam Schefter.
Kubiak also said that Steve Slaton, who's had major issues with ball security this year, will share carries.
As Stephanie Stradley wrote earlier this week, Kubiak won't put up with fumbles. Slaton's put the ball on the turf seven times this season, leading to five turnovers, and has coughed the ball up once in four of Houston's last five games.
He's also struggled to gain yards when he has held onto the football -- over the past five games, he's had 72 carries for 211 yards, a measly 2.9 yards-per-carry average. Moats, on the other hand, averaged 5 1/2 yards per run at Buffalo, piling up 126 yards on 23 carries (in addition to two catches for 25 yards). In his only other playing time with Houston's offense this season, in a Week 4 win over Oakland, Moats ran 15 times for 56 yards.
Even before Kubiak's proclamation, Moats was the most-added player in Fleaflicker's fantasy leagues this week, and this news won't slow that momentum, though Slaton will still be in the mix, as Kubiak reportedly pointed out.
Houston will rely on its ground game to keep the Colts' Peyton Manning off the field -- and that likely means plenty of touches for both Moats and Slaton. As he did in the Buffalo game, Kubiak will go with what's working.
Right now, that's Moats. But as the Texans saw in Buffalo, things can change in a hurry.
