Running back Arian Foster is inactive for the Texans' Week 1 game against the Indianapolis Colts. Foster was ruled out 90 minutes before kickoff with a left hamstring injury.
Eighth-year veteran Derrick Ward will start in Foster's place, with second-year back Ben Tate next in line.
Ward, 31, averaged 6.3 yards per carry and had four touchdowns in 2010 as Foster's backup. In Week 4 at Oakland, a game in which Foster was benched for the first quarter, Ward ran for 78 yards on 11 carries, including a 33-yard touchdown.
Tate, a second-round pick from Auburn in 2010, averaged 7.4 yards per carry in the preseason. He missed his entire rookie season with an ankle injury.
Kubiak said on Friday that the Texans will ride the hot hand in today's game. He said that running back Steve Slaton could play as well.
Foster ran for 231 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries against the Colts last season in Week 1, when the Texans won 34-24. The Texans carried the ball 42 times for a team-record 257 yards. They passed the ball only 17 times, including five times in the second half.
