Falcons linebacker Paul Worrilow, who’s battling a calf injury, had a rough game against the Cowboys.
He’ll have to most embody coach Dan Quinn’s fast and physical style of play when the Falcons face the Houston Texans at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
The Texans feature running back Alfred Blue, who rushed for 139 yards against Tampa Bay on Sunday. Also, running back Arian Foster could make his 2015 debut after undergoing groin surgery.
“They do a great job in the run game with all of their personnel packages,” Falcons defensive coordinator Richard Smith said. “Foster, we know that he’s a Pro Bowl player. He has been injured, but we expect him to play.”
Worrilow was the worst linebacker in the league, by far, in Week 3. While his calf injury may have been a factor, he’s no longer listed on the Falcons’ injury report.
Against Dallas, Worrilow’s minus-8.1 grade ranked 44th out of 44 linebackers, according to profootballfocus.com. The 43rd ranked linebacker in Week 3, Anthony Hitchens, had a minus-3.9.
In addition to Blue, and possibly Foster, the Texans have running back Jonathan Grimes, who has 11 receptions.
Worrilow also struggled in coverage by allowing 115 yards, with 86 coming after the catch.
“Blue has come in and has done a great job with them,” Smith said. “Grimes is not only an effective runner, he’s got good hands out of the backfield. They’ve got a really good running core.”
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