Indianapolis Colts (6-4)
at
Houston Texans (6-4)
Houston 20, Indianapolis17
It was a gigantic clash of the two top teams in the AFC South last night, with a lot riding on it.
It was a huge AFC South showdown on Thursday Night Football, with a ton of playoff implications riding on the end result. Whoever would come out on top would have the inside track to control their own destiny for the rest of the season and win the division. The loser, meanwhile, would still be relevant in the playoffs, but their chances would be compromised, perhaps even seriously so.
With so much riding on the outcome of a game between two teams that seem to consistently alternate with being inconsistent, showing glimpses of brilliance on some weeks, and then showing much more mediocrity on others, it was also no huge surprise that this was a close game decided right at the end. And with all of the recent controversies regarding bad calls and no calls in the NFL lately, perhaps we also should not be surprised that a major blown call, or no call on a seeming turnover, went a long way towards deciding the game.
Yes, there was an apparent fumble by Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, and
The Colts actually enjoyed a decisive advantage in time of possession, and even though they were outgained in total offensive yards by exactly 100 (396 yards for Houston to 296 for Indy), the Colts still produced more first downs (19) than Houston (16). They also had no turnovers, while the Texans suffered one, and may have gotten away with another one, a seeming fumble by Deshaun Watson, which may have gone some length towards deciding this game.
Yes, Watson appeared to have the ball stripped by Colts linebacker Darius Leonard very late in the game – there was under one minute left – and the ball went to the ground. Ultimately, Leonard himself appeared to recover the ball, which would have given Indy a second turnover recovery, and this one at a critical point in a very close game. But since it was so late, and since it was not ruled a fumble, the play was not reviewed and Colts head coach Frank Reich could not challenge it. Had the Colts gotten the ball in what was an apparent turnover, the outcome in this one might have been very different.
Otherwise, Deshaun Watson enjoyed a solid day for Houston, completing 19 of 30 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns, although he did throw an interception, as well. Many of his passes went to Will Fuller V, who caught seven passes and picked up 140 yards. But Deandre Hopkins had the biggest day overall for Houston, with six receptions for 94 yards, but catching both touchdown passes, on a night dominated by the two defenses. Carlos Hyde added 67 yards on 16 carries on the ground.
In a losing cause ultimately for the Colts, Jacoby Brissett completed 16 of 25 passes for 129 yards. Jonathan Williams added a strong running threat, picking up 104 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries.
It was a huge AFC South showdown on Thursday Night Football, with a ton of playoff implications riding on the end result. Whoever would come out on top would have the inside track to control their own destiny for the rest of the season and win the division. The loser, meanwhile, would still be relevant in the playoffs, but their chances would be compromised, perhaps even seriously so.
With so much riding on the outcome of a game between two teams that seem to consistently alternate with being inconsistent, showing glimpses of brilliance on some weeks, and then showing much more mediocrity on others, it was also no huge surprise that this was a close game decided right at the end. And with all of the recent controversies regarding bad calls and no calls in the NFL lately, perhaps we also should not be surprised that a major blown call, or no call on a seeming turnover, went a long way towards deciding the game.
Yes, there was an apparent fumble by Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, and
The Colts actually enjoyed a decisive advantage in time of possession, and even though they were outgained in total offensive yards by exactly 100 (396 yards for Houston to 296 for Indy), the Colts still produced more first downs (19) than Houston (16). They also had no turnovers, while the Texans suffered one, and may have gotten away with another one, a seeming fumble by Deshaun Watson, which may have gone some length towards deciding this game.
Yes, Watson appeared to have the ball stripped by Colts linebacker Darius Leonard very late in the game – there was under one minute left – and the ball went to the ground. Ultimately, Leonard himself appeared to recover the ball, which would have given Indy a second turnover recovery, and this one at a critical point in a very close game. But since it was so late, and since it was not ruled a fumble, the play was not reviewed and Colts head coach Frank Reich could not challenge it. Had the Colts gotten the ball in what was an apparent turnover, the outcome in this one might have been very different.
Otherwise, Deshaun Watson enjoyed a solid day for Houston, completing 19 of 30 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns, although he did throw an interception, as well. Many of his passes went to Will Fuller V, who caught seven passes and picked up 140 yards. But Deandre Hopkins had the biggest day overall for Houston, with six receptions for 94 yards, but catching both touchdown passes, on a night dominated by the two defenses. Carlos Hyde added 67 yards on 16 carries on the ground.
In a losing cause ultimately for the Colts, Jacoby Brissett completed 16 of 25 passes for 129 yards. Jonathan Williams added a strong running threat, picking up 104 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries.
So, the Texans managed to win a huge showdown game, going a long way towards moving past the blowout loss at Baltimore last weekend, and avenging a loss to the Colts at Indianapolis earlier this season. It moves them into first place in the AFC South, in good position to win the division. Right now, with five games remaining, they control their own destiny, at least. Also, right now, they would be the third seed in the AFC by virtue of their tiebreaker win over the first place Chiefs in the AFC West, which means that whatever problems they face, the Texans are in good shape right now at 7-4.
Meanwhile, the Colts fall to 6-5. It was a disappointing loss for them, to be sure, but they still can do things, and remain very much alive this season. Even though they would be out of the playoffs if the season ended today, they still have more than a month to try and get back into all of this.
My prediction: Accurate
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