Andrew Luck, Colts to Face Chiefs After Beating Deshaun Watson, Texans 21-7

Quarterback Andrew Luck threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns and running back Marlon Mack had 154 yards from scrimmage and a score as the Indianapolis Colts beat the Houston Texans 21-7 in an AFC wild-card matchup on Saturday at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Texans wide receiver Keke Coutee had 11 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Forget Comeback Player of Year: Luck Deserves MVP Chatter

OddsShark listed Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the clear NFL MVP favorite on Dec. 30:

That's hard to argue given his league-leading 50 touchdown passes and the Chiefs' AFC-leading 12-4 record.

However, Luck deserves more MVP consideration given his remarkable performance this year.

Indianapolis went 4-12 last season sans Luck, who was recovering from a shoulder injury and at one point thought he may never play again.

This season, the Colts are 11-6 including the playoffs. During the regular season, the ex-Stanford star threw 39 touchdown passes and completed a career-high 67.3 percent of his passes. He was particularly exceptional in his last 10 regular-season games thanks to 23 touchdowns and a 69.5 percent completion rate.

Luck's abilities were on full display Saturday, as he was able to evade the Texans pass rush and find his receivers downfield:

He also dropped dimes into buckets:

That's nothing new for Luck, who has been doing things like this all year. Former Notre Dame offensive lineman and current ESPN analyst Mike Golic Jr. also noted how well Luck and the offensive line are clicking:

Many reasons go into the Colts' regular-season turnaround and playoff appearances, but none are bigger than Luck's season. While Mahomes will likely win the trophy, Luck's comeback and his team's stark improvement have to give him a few MVP votes.

Colts Are AFC's Most Overlooked Super Bowl Contender

The Colts have now won 10 of their last 11 games after a 1-5 start. Their only defeat was a bizarre 6-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road. Otherwise, Indianapolis has won its games during this stretch by an average of 13.7 points.

The Colts have established themselves as a dangerous out in this year's playoffs given their torrid pace. Indianapolis is set up for January success for a few reasons, namely Luck and No. 1 wideout T.Y. Hilton. But the Colts have far more going for them right now.

First, the Colts offensive line is fully healthy for the first time since Thanksgiving, as noted by Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star:

Center Ryan Kelly in particular is a crucial asset for a potential Super Bowl run. Keefer called him the "most underrated player on the team," and Kevin Bowen of 1070 The Fan noted how important his status is for the Colts' pass-protection efforts:

Despite the Colts offensive line injuries, the front's adjusted sack rate was just 4.0 percent, per Football Outsiders. That mark ranked second in the league and was in addition to Indianapolis' No. 4 standing in adjusted line yards.

Second, the Colts defense has been sensational in the last eight weeks, allowing just 14.0 points per game. Rookie linebacker Darius Leonard led the league with 163 tackles, 111 of which were solo. He played a big part in a dominant run defense that didn't allow a 100-yard rusher all season.

Leonard isn't the only Colt for opposing offenses to worry about, however. Cornerback Kenny Moore, who led the Colts with 11 passes defended, picked off Watson in the second quarter. Fellow cornerback Pierre Desir helped slow down Hopkins to just five catches for 37 yards.

Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has led the charge under head coach Frank Reich, and his unit didn't allow a point until a Coutee touchdown with 10 minutes left.

Ultimately, former NFL offensive lineman and current analyst Geoff Schwartz said it best on Saturday:

The Colts should give the Chiefs a strong challenge during the divisional round, and they could keep on rolling to Atlanta.

Texans Must Fix OL, Secondary to Save Bill O'Brien's Job Despite Playoff Run

Texans head coach Bill O'Brien has led the Texans to four winning seasons and three playoff appearances in five years. He is a decorated leader with success at numerous stops.

However, the Texans have won just one playoff game during the O'Brien era. That victory came in 2016 against the Oakland Raiders, who had lost their first- and second-string quarterbacks to injuries prior to the game.

At some point, Houston needs to take the next step. The Texans have an excellent quarterback-wideout combo in Watson and Hopkins, a future Hall of Famer in edge-rusher J.J. Watt and an excellent tackling machine in linebacker Zach Cunningham. To see them get blown out at home in a playoff game where they were favored is perplexing.

Two significant issues that have cropped up are the primary causes.

First, the Texans offensive line cannot protect Watson.

That fact was most evident late in the first half. With the Texans trailing 21-0, Watson led his team on a steady drive downfield. Facing a 2nd-and-5 from the Colts' 13-yard line, however, Watson took a sack to force a 3rd-and-14. After a 13-yard pass to Keke Coutee, a touchdown attempt to Hopkins fell incomplete.

Watson's mobility has masked the offensive line's deficiencies, but the Texans still ranked last in the league in adjusted sack rate allowed at 11.5 percent, per Football Outsiders. For context, only three other teams registered rates above 10 percent this season.

Second, the pass defense was exposed.

Football analyst Warren Sharp made an astute point on Dec. 20, noting that the Texans' pass defense had not been tested much this season:

The Texans eventually gave up four touchdown passes to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles in a 32-30 loss before rebounding with a 20-3 over the Jaguars, who finished with the second-fewest points in the league.

Despite the easier schedule, Pro Football Reference listed Houston with allowing the 14th-most net passing yards per attempt in the NFL.

In fairness to Houston, the secondary has suffered injuries all season. But the cornerbacks out there simply haven't performed well.

Of note, Houston signed cornerback Aaron Colvin to a four-year, $34 million deal, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, but he was a healthy member of the inactive list on Saturday. Wright struggled and was notably beat by Dontrelle Inman for an 18-yard touchdown.

Wilson made the Texans' offseason priorities clear:

Houston enjoyed a successful regular season, but this ending may be the most disappointing finish of all. The Texans need to shore up the offensive line and secondary and progress in the playoffs, or else Houston may be forced to make more difficult decisions.

What's Next?

The Colts will face the AFC's No. 1 seed, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Saturday at 4:35 p.m. ET. NBC will carry the telecast from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Kansas City and Indianapolis have played four times in the playoffs since 1995, with the Colts emerging victorious on each occasion.