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Arian Foster: Miami Dolphins "don't need to name a No. 1 [RB]," says quarterback

By Alex Butler
Arian Foster. (YouTube)
Arian Foster. (YouTube)

ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Veteran running back Arian Foster will not have another chance to prove himself before the Miami Dolphins week one matchup in Seattle.

After the Dolphins' 17-6 victory Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons, coach Adam Gase was clear in saying that the often injured 30-year-old will be saved for the season opener and skip the last week of preseason action.

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"I just wanted him to get hit a few more times to make sure he feels like he's back, because he won't play next week," Gase told reporters Thursday night in Orlando. "He's not. His next time he'll have any kind of contact is going to be Seattle."

Foster made fantasy football owners excited when he emulated the man who scored 69 touchdowns during his seven-year career in Houston. He made his two-yard, second-quarter rushing touchdown look like a thing of beauty, as he effortlessly cutback to put a defender on skates.

Foster finished with seven touches for 30 yards and a touchdown in his largest stint with his new team. He is locked into a position battle with second-year running back Jay Ajayi, who piled up 23 yards on nine touches.

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After the matchup, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill gave no clarity to who was leading the backfield battle.

"I have no idea what the plan is there," Tannehill told reporters. "Honestly, to me, those guys can just plug and play. They both have different dynamic assets we can use, and whoever is in there, we feel comfortable with (them), and they're going to make plays for us. I don't think we really need to name a number one guy at this point or really at any point. I think we have good, stable backs that we can just pop in there and use them to the best of their abilities."

Foster, known for his philosophical opinions, downplayed the significance of football.

"No, it's just football," Foster told reporters. "People are going through real problems, and football is entertainment. It takes the worries off of the real problems that people have, and hopefully we can get people to not worry for three hours on a Sunday. It's just football."

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Foster has seven carries for five rushing yards and one score on the ground this preseason. He also has two receptions for 20 yards.

Ajayi, 23, has 15 carries for 36 yards on the ground and two receptions for 12 yards this preseason.

Ajayi has averaged 2.6 yards per carry compared to Foster's 0.25 yards per carry. Last season, Lamar Miller averaged 4.5 yards per carry during the regular season and 4.0 yards per carry during the preseason. Ajayi averaged 8.0 yards per carry on 16 attempts during the 2015 preseason.

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