It's not that Brian Orakpo is wary of the Houston Texans' ground game.
It's just that he would prefer the Texans to emphasize the passing game in Sunday's game at FedExField.
The Texans rushed for 257 yards on the ground in last Sunday's 34-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts. They were, led by second-year back Arian Foster's 231 yards and three touchdowns.
"Yeah, we want them to pass the ball," Orakpo said. "Obviously they have a high-powered offense with Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson and company. But we have to stop the run.
"Obviously the Colts didn't do that and they kept running it all day. We have to do a good job stopping the run and hopefully get after them in the passing game."
Last year, the Texans were a pass-first offense. Under then-offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who is not the Redskins' offensive coordinator, the Texans posted the NFL's top-ranked passing game while struggling to run the ball.
Now Foster provides the offense with balance.
"One thing about [Foster], he doesn't play around," Orakpo said. "He sees that hole and he hits it right. He doesn't dance. He's a hard-nosed runner.
"But we have to stop the run game and hopefully get them back to what they like to do, which is pass the ball."
Orakpo didn't record a sack in the Redskins' 13-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, but he did have an impact on the game.
He drew a pair of holding penalties on right tackle Alex Barron, including the last play of the game. The Cowboys scored a potential game-winning touchdown on the play, but Barron's penalty nullified it.
Orakpo grew up in Houston and from 2001-04 he played football for Lamar High School in the city. Lamar's team name was the "Redskins."
"My high school coach told me, 'Once you're a Redskin, you're always a Redskin,'" Orakpo said.
Orakpo said he grew up a Houston Oilers fan and then rooted for the Texans when they arrived in 2002.
Until the Redskins drafted him in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft, that is.
-- MOORE IMPROVING
Kareem Moore says his knee injury is steadily improving and he hopes to play in this Sunday's game against the Houston Texans.
"We'll see," head coach Mike Shanahan said.
Moore underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-August and was expected to be sidelined 4-6 weeks. Reed Doughty replaced him in the starting lineup in Week 1 vs. Dallas.
Moore said he has been running regularly on the knee and working individually on some football drills.
Said Moore: "It's getting progressively better. Everything is ahead of schedule. Whenever coach says I can go, I go."
