Colts vs. Texans: Full Indianapolis Game Preview
Despite the short week of practice, it appears that Andrew Luck will be coming back to take on the Houston Texans on Thursday, which is a welcome sign for an Indianapolis Colts team that is still looking for answers on both sides of the ball.
Sporting a 2-2 record despite the poor start to the season, the Colts are actually in good shape now that their quarterback is back and Greg Toler is finally ready to make his return from a neck injury.
The Colts still need to work out the offensive kinks, especially now that they can't rely on Frank Gore to carry the team to a victory during an off passing day, but the defense has a lot of potential for improvement, and there are few better matchups for a defense than the Texans.
Ranked No. 31 in the league in turnover margin, the Texans have been plagued with quarterback issues and are paying the price with a 1-3 start to the season. Can the Colts take advantage and win their 16th straight game against an AFC South opponent, or will Houston pull off the huge upset Thursday night? Let’s take a look at what the matchup has in store.
Viewing Info
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston
Date: Thursday, Oct. 8
Time: 8:25 p.m. ET
TV: CBS/NFL Network
Week 4 Results and Recap
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Team | Record |
Indianapolis Colts | 2-2 |
1-2 | |
Houston Texans | 1-3 |
1-3 |
Another week, another AFC South win for the Indianapolis Colts—this time coming in large part thanks to the struggles of Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Jason Myers when it mattered the most.
A game-winning field goal by Adam Vinatieri in overtime broke a 13-13 deadlock that was a little too close for comfort for the Indianapolis Colts, who had Matt Hasselbeck at the helm to help secure the 16-13 win at home.
Even without Andrew Luck, the Colts were able to survive and secure another win and put themselves in a much better position for the rest of the season. They also tied the league record for consecutive wins against division opponents with their 15th straight.
Hasselbeck was a fine placeholder, but a triumphant return of Luck should spark some new life into an offense that struggled once again against the Jags, with Frank Gore unable to get anything going despite seeing an increased role early in the game.
Things still aren’t great in Indianapolis, but another AFC South opponent in the Houston Texans provides the Colts a third straight opportunity to push themselves up the standings in the division and that much closer to another playoff berth.
News and Notes
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Andrew Luck ready to return
Songs will be sung of the Matt Hasselbeck era in Indianapolis. With an undefeated record, an average stat line of more than 250 yards passing per game and no interceptions throughout his time as a starter, it is fair to say that he will go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play for the Colts.
All joking aside, Hasselbeck did a great job of holding down the fort while Andrew Luck was out with an injured shoulder last Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But the Colts need Luck back if they are going to reach their goal of a fourth straight playoff appearance, so his return—whether he is 100 percent or not—are a boost to the team’s chances Thursday night.
What is up with Andre Johnson?
Since joining the league in 2003 with the Houston Texans, Andre Johnson has been a superstar even with less-than-stellar quarterback play. Even in 2011 when he missed nine games because of an injury, he still managed to amass 33 catches for 492 yards.
Through four games with the Colts, though, the future Hall of Famer is on pace for 28 catches and 204 yards if he stays healthy for all 16 games. That's not exactly up to the standard that Indianapolis thought it was expecting this offseason.
The team has been fine through this slump, with Donte Moncrief quickly developing into a star alongside T.Y. Hilton, but Johnson has not looked like himself so far this year. It is time to wonder if his career is rapidly coming to a close.
Will Robert Mathis’ role increase?
Since making his return in week 2 against the New York Jets from an Achilles tear in the 2014 playoffs, Robert Mathis has been used rather sparingly by the Indianapolis Colts.
While the decision makes sense on paper, since a 34-year-old veteran returning from a major injury is something you want to take slow, watching Mathis on the field lends credence to an entirely different tale.
The Colts are desperate to produce a pass rush, as things have been getting too comfortable for opposing quarterbacks in recent weeks. Mathis remains one of the best at getting to the quarterback. Using him exclusively on third down is a waste and not how Indianapolis should be using its star linebacker.
Latest Injury News
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Player | Injury | Status |
Henry Anderson | Foot | DNP |
Jalil Brown | Groin | DNP |
Vontae Davis | Foot | DNP |
Jerrell Freeman | Groin | DNP |
Kendall Langford | Back | DNP |
Andrew Luck | Shoulder | Limited |
Tyler Varga | Concussion | DNP |
Bjoern Werner | Hamstring | DNP |
Everybody wants to talk about Andrew Luck and his possible return, and after being limited in practice this week, everything is pointing toward a return for the All-Pro quarterback.
Perhaps more important than the return of the franchise player, though, is the fact that the Indianapolis Colts cannot seem to keep their already soft group of cornerbacks healthy. A week after Darius Butler came back from injury, Jalil Brown went down against the Jags and has not practiced this week.
Coinciding with the status of Greg Toler, who hasn’t played this year with a neck injury but looks set to return to the fold against Houston, the team’s No. 1 corner, Vontae Davis, missed practice Monday and is uncertain to play Thursday.
The Texans don’t have the most intimidating group of receivers—many of whom are dealing with injuries of their own—but injuries to their cornerbacks are pushing the Colts to the limit.
The other big news is the status of Henry Anderson as day to day. The rookie defensive lineman has been arguably the defensive MVP for Indianapolis so far this season, and any time off for him could damage what is already a less-than-stellar pass rush.
Injury report via Colts.com.
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Key Matchups
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Colts front seven vs. Arian Foster
Last Sunday’s debut for Arian Foster wasn’t exactly the fix-all that Texans fans were hoping for when it was announced he was ready to make his return. With just 10 yards on eight carries and a fumble—which was not his fault, to be honest—Foster didn’t look up to the superstar status he has attained over the years.
But if history tells us anything, Foster is good enough to bounce back, especially against a Colts defense that is giving up nearly 120 yards on the ground per game. The front seven for Indianapolis has played surprisingly well this year but not well enough to stop the Texans if Foster can get going.
Colts offensive line vs. J.J. Watt
Nobody expected the Houston Texans to be one of the top teams in the league this year. With the quarterback issues they had, few even expected them to challenge the Colts for the AFC South.
But while the expectations for the Texans were low, expectations were high star defensive end J.J. Watt. At this point in his career, he is already among the best players to ever play the position and is tied for second in the league with four sacks.
The Colts offensive line has had a number of issues this year, and going against a player as dominant as Watt is the last thing a struggling unit needs. If Luck plays, chances are he will be staring up at the sky at least a few times, courtesy of Watt.
Matchup X-Factor
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Colts X-Factor of the Week: CB Greg Toler
It has been a rough season for the Colts in terms of cornerback play, with injuries taking their toll each and every week and the team struggling against the pass.
Even Vontae Davis has struggled this year with players such as Jalil Brown and Darius Butler playing opposite him on the No. 2 receiver. It was expected to be a weakness for the Colts this year, but it has been an Achilles' heel for a defense that has received some strong play from its front seven.
But this week, finally, the Colts could be in line to see their best group of cornerbacks return with Greg Toler set to come back after missing the first four weeks with a neck injury.
Although Davis did miss practice and isn’t guaranteed to play, even the prospect of pairing him and Toler up on the outside while Butler covers the slot has to be a happy one for the fans. With DeAndre Hopkins being the No. 1 target in Houston’s offense, the Colts will need to be fully healthy at cornerback, and Toler’s return makes that a possibility.
If Davis is out, the Colts will line up Toler on Hopkins, which could be rude awakening, but the cornerback will have a much better job of shutting down the young receiver than Butler would have. It isn’t the perfect situation yet, but it is as close to it as Indianapolis has come this year.
Prediction: Colts 21, Texans 13
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At this point, it is hard to have any real confidence in the Indianapolis Colts pulling out a victory. Despite their 2-2 record, they have put forth four poor performances in as many weeks, and they have yet to figure out how to fix their biggest issues.
But while the cornerbacks are seemingly always injured and the offensive line finds new ways to struggle each week, it is nothing compared to the problems the Houston Texans have dealt with this year.
With serious problems at quarterback, the Texans have looked lost offensively, failing to score more than 21 points in a game this season and falling to 1-3 after a Week 4 thrashing at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons.
Even with the return of Arian Foster for the Texans, the Colts should be able to shut down the Houston offense just enough to pull out its third consecutive victory after an 0-2 start to the season.
Prediction: Colts 21, Texans 13
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