Four years ago, Texans running back Steve Slaton climbed from the third spot on the depth chart as a freshman at West Virginia due to the inability of opening-day starter Jason Colson to hold onto the ball. So Slaton realizes that fumbling can get a guy benched, and that it can open a door for the next guy on the list to take the job and never let it go.
And while Ryan Moats and Slaton were supposed to split touches on Sunday, Moats got the ball ten times more on the day.
The key, however, could be that Moats lost a fumble -- and Slaton didn't.
Sure, Slaton had only six carries and three catches. But getting one touchdown and having no turnovers didn't hurt. Neither did Slaton's effort to study the ball-carrying style of former Giants running back Tiki Barber.
Of course, none of it mattered when kicker Kris Brown missed a 42-yard field goal that would have forced overtime. But as the Texans keep trying to get to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, chances are that Moats is now on a short leash, and that Slaton has gone a long way toward emerging from coach Gary Kubiak's doghouse.
No fumbles for Slaton
Posted by Mike Florio on November 8, 2009 7:36 PM ET
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Latest stories in: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, Top Stories
Latest stories in: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, Top Stories
Four not for....
Texans fans butts puckered every time Slaton touched the ball today. It really wasn't like how you are trying to spin it.
I hope Kubiak is lining up an O Coordinator gig for next year. Nothing secures a spot in the unemployment line like benching offensive playmakers, especially when their replacements fumble at the goal line and avg about 2 and 1/2 yds per carry.
Lil Mikey can once again wear his Steve Slaton Underoos with pride.
Well at least you don't try to hide your onanistic tendencies towards former Mountaineers.
I wish you would act with equal candor when it comes to players from other universities, but you won't.
GregO - Who cares that Florio is a homer for Mountaineers? It's his website; you come here to read what he writes. Don't bitch about it, just go somewhere else if it bothers you.
@BrownsTown, Slaton had fumbled 7 times and lost 5 in 8 games. Moats had 126 yards and 3 TDs last week. Do the math.
if the texans just beat the "teams they should beat", they should win ten games.
that ought to get them in the playoffs unless the jets ravens or jags get hot. i presume the chargers will roll now.
isnt the west va theme song "muskrat love"?
No, the West Virgina theme song is Dueling Banjoes and the state motto is, " everything is relative in West Virgina"
How awesome is that, a scrub from La. Tech outperforms your precious mountanieer...... And you find a way to spin it in Slaton"s direction....... Ok he didn't fumble this week, they still lost and the TEAM still struggles cause of the inablility of a proven RB.
I think Slaton offers the kind of elusiveness that Moats will never have, but then Reggie Bush offers that to the Saints, and he can't pin down a starting role because of his deficiencies.
Sooner or later, the Texans were always going to go with a bigger, more 'traditional' back who can carry the load full time. Slaton doesn't just fumble, he is sometimes very indecisive about hitting the hole (as you would have seen last night if you were watching, which I assume you were. Cough.), and that will cost him more than fumbling.
That's not to say Slaton doesn't have a role, just that he has never fit the mould that you would want for your starting RB in the NFL. I think if anything, this could be a decision that only gets reversed by an injury to Moats.