5 Matchups the Indianapolis Colts Must Win Against the Houston Texans
On Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts will face the Houston Texans in what likely will be the deciding factor in the race for the AFC South.
Quite fittingly, the quarterbacks for that matchup look like one of the least exciting matchups of the year.
The Texans' T.J. Yates will be starting in place of an injured Brian Hoyer on Sunday, while Colts starter Andrew Luck will miss his fifth consecutive game with a kidney injury. Matt Hasselbeck against T.J. Yates would be bad enough, but Hasselbeck is no guarantee to play either, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, who reported Thursday that breathing is not back to normal yet for the 40-year-old quarterback.
If Hasselbeck can't go, Charlie Whitehurst will start for the Colts, and the battle of the backup quarterbacks will have reached a fever pitch.
If the Colts want to win this mess on Sunday, they'll need to win their key matchups at other positions. Even if Hasselbeck plays, the chances that he has a good game are minimal, considering his recent play. Whichever team supports their backup more will win Sunday's game.
That's not a good sign for Indianapolis, who has long depended on quarterback play, but anything can happen. Let's take a look at five of those matchups the Colts are focusing.
T.Y. Hilton vs. Johnathan Joseph
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In fairness, the Colts need anybody to step up in the receiver corps. It doesn't have to be T.Y. Hilton, but let's be honest: If anybody is going to make a play for their quarterback in this game, at least on Indianapolis' side, it's going to be Hilton.
He's been the only consistent playmaker all season, and the team's other receivers have been extremely limited after the catch and down the field.
Additionally, Hilton knows the Houston Texans very well.
In seven games against the Texans in his career, Hilton has 40 catches for 749 yards and six touchdowns. While he had just five catches for 88 yards against the Texans earlier this year, that was impressive considering that Matt Hasselbeck was the quarterback and the Colts ran the ball 30 times.
That included a 43-yard reception on third down to seal the game with under two minutes remaining, as the Colts boldly threw the ball to their top option with a chance to finish the 27-20 win rather than run the ball to chew clock.
Johnathan Joseph is a good corner and has shadowed Hilton before. But Hilton has beaten him in the past, and the Colts need to know that even if he doesn't put up another 200-yard game, he can make a key play when needed.
Anthony Castonzo vs. Jadeveon Clowney
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The Colts offensive line has been completely discombobulated over the last two weeks.
With Anthony Castonzo out with a knee injury, the Colts have been forced to move players around, resulting in both a lack of chemistry and a weak talent level. Castonzo is the Colts' best lineman, so losing him is always going to be a blow.
But Castonzo was back at practice this week and should be playing on Sunday, a huge boost to the team's offense.
He'll be sorely needed against a dangerous Texans pass rush.
The Colts have done a good job in recent matchups with J.J. Watt, but they've done it by double- and triple-teaming him on a consistent basis, leaving other players singled up in one-on-one matchups.
With former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney picking up steam in recent weeks (three sacks in the last two weeks), the Colts will have their hands full, and it's likely Castonzo that will pick up the lion's share of that matchup.
Coming off the knee injury, the Colts desperately need Castonzo to seamlessly step back into the lineup and keep Clowney and Watt limited.
Vontae Davis vs. DeAndre Hopkins
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It was once all but devoid of receiving talent, but the AFC South is quickly becoming home to some of the best receivers in the league.
Three of the division's receivers are currently in the top 10 for receiving yards (Allen Robinson, T.Y. Hilton and DeAndre Hopkins), and even Tennessee has Delanie Walker, who leads all tight ends in receptions this year, ranking fourth in yards.
Even in a division as hamstrung as the AFC South, the passing game is key. So each team has to be able to stop those big-time players or at least limit them.
Last week, Vontae Davis held Robinson without a catch while shadowing him for most of the game, although Robinson did catch one pass, a four-yard touchdown, while lined up inside against Darius Butler.
This week, Davis has an even tougher matchup against DeAndre Hopkins, who ranks in the top five in yards, receptions and touchdowns this year, despite the Texans' quarterback issues.
Last time these two teams faced each other, Hopkins exploded for 11 catches and 169 yards, with most of that damage coming against Greg Toler and zone coverage. This time around, the Colts may try shadowing Hopkins with Davis, considering the Titans' lack of threats elsewhere and the fact that Toler may not be healthy enough to play, although he did get back to practice on Thursday.
Either way, the Colts need Davis to win this matchup when it does occur. Whether he follows Hopkins or not, the Colts can't afford to have their best cover guy be eaten alive, as well as the rest of the vulnerable secondary.
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Jerrell Freeman vs. Himself
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The best news for Indianapolis' injury front this week would have been Andrew Luck's return on Sunday. That didn't happen. Still, they didn't fare too bad in other areas, with Castonzo, Toler, Erik Walden and Jerrell Freeman all returning to practice.
The most critical one, at least defensively? Freeman.
Freeman has missed each of the last two games with multiple injuries, which has been a big blow, coincidentally resulting in consecutive blowout losses. Though inconsistent last season, Freeman has been much better in 2015, especially over the few weeks prior to his injury.
The Colts desperately need Freeman out there; he's a versatile, rangy linebacker who can play on every down. He's not an elite interior linebacker, but he's an incredibly valuable player on a talent-starved Colts defense.
But the Colts need him healthy. Freeman doesn't play well through injury, as last season's debacle showed. Though the team's depth is lacking (Josh McNary started last week), Freeman's gimping around won't help anybody.
The team needs Freeman out there to keep Houston honest offensively. If he can stay on the field, the Colts might have a shot at keeping Houston contained.
Chuck Pagano vs. Bill O'Brien
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Both Bill O'Brien and Chuck Pagano may be fighting for their jobs on Sunday.
Both with disappointing 6-7 records, the Colts and Texans are very different but have had similar arcs this season.
Both teams started the season slowly and disappointingly. The Colts, obviously, started the season 0-2, then 3-5, as the offense that was supposed to be leading the pack this season sputtered out of the gate. The Texans started 2-5; their defense, which was supposed to be lights out, struggled to get its high-profile parts working together.
After those starts, however, both teams' coaches found a way to turn it around. Pagano and the Colts went on a three-game winning streak, including beating the undefeated Denver Broncos and winning consecutive games with Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback. The Texans defense got it together, and Houston went on a four-game win streak, including a road win over the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals.
But now both teams are back on two-game losing streaks and coming off blowout losses.
These two coaches were fighting for their lives at the midway point in the season and managed to turn it around for a few weeks. Now things are getting tough again. Which one can overcome and win the battle for the division title?
The winner might be the only one to have a head coaching job next season.
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