Texans Vs. Titans: Arian Foster Inactive, Ben Tate Will Start

The Houston Texans have nothing to play for in the final week of the 2011 NFL regular season, and so they will be sitting leading rusher Arian Foster as an inactive player and starting Ben Tate in their Week 17 game against the Tennessee Titans.

Foster has 1,224 yards on the year, third in the NFL, and over just 13 starts. But he has almost no chance of catching NFL rushing leader Maurice Jones-Drew, who is more than 200 yards ahead of him, and the Texans, locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs, could use a fully healthy Foster against their first round opponent to be determined. (Tate, who has 845 yards on the ground in 2011, is certainly no slouch.)

Foster sitting is somewhat mitigated by another player who will be playing for Houston: receiver Andre Johnson is not inactive, and will be available.

For more on the Texans, head to Battle Red Blog. For more on the Titans, visit Music City Miracles. For more on the NFL, head to SB Nation's NFL hub.