Texans-Colts: Texans Provide Fans With Hope, Disappointment

The Houston Texans' season continues to ride the sea of emotions, cresting with exhilarating highs but dragged down by missed opportunities.

What we experienced on Sunday was an educational experience that showed us both how good the Texans can be and how far they still have to go to get there.

Despite a myriad of errors in the first half of their game against the Colts, the team was able to bounce back and give itself an opportunity to win.

But it didn't.

What we really learned this weekend was the difference between the Colts and the Texans and why one is undefeated and the other will be fighting for a wild-card berth.

Let's start with the positive though—and if you can look beyond the final score, there were many positives for Houston fans.

For example, for the first time since the reinvention of the defense, starting with the drafting of Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans in 2006, the team has the look of finally harnessing all that talent and developing a top ranked defense.

Despite giving up 242 passing yards in the fist half, they were able to hold Peyton Manning to 13 points. 

They forced two key turnovers at crucial moments, were able to put pressure on Peyton, and continue to lead the league in three and outs.

Offensively, the team was also able to rebound from a rough start to put up 17 unanswered points and put the team in position to win. 

Matt Schaub threw for 245 yards in the second half and showed why the Texans are one of the more explosive offenses in football.

With all this, however, the team continues to be nothing more than a tease.

The common denominator in the silver linings listed above is the team's inability to overcome mistakes.

Of course, one cannot overcome a mistake without first making it, and the Texans make far too many.

Once again, the team came out slow and put itself in an early deficit. 

The running game again underwhelmed, and Ryan Moats now joins Steve Slaton and Chris Brown as Texans running backs who have given up critical, gut-wrenching fumbles.

Fumbling aside, both backs also struggled with their most basic assignment of running the ball, as both averaged under three yards per carry and continued the Texans' goal-line struggles.

Part of the blame must also go to the offensive line, which has allowed far too much penetration on running downs, but the running backs must also find ways to slip past the defensive line and into the second level.

In the passing game, Matt Schaub still needs to improve his decision making. He seems to always have a handful of throws each game that are too risky and too dangerous.

His first interception on Sunday was a perfect example when he tried to force a ball into triple coverage, and there were other throws late in the game which weren't intercepted, but should not have been thrown.

Schaub has proven to be a quarterback capable of making big plays and should be the quarterback of this team for many years to come, but he is still learning the mental part of football and still makes too many mistakes.

On the other side of the ball, while the team deserves all the praise I lauded on it above, the fact remains that it did give up over 200 passing yards in a half for the second time this season. 

Part of that was a result of the offense unable to stay on the field, but part of that was also due to giving the Colts multiple opportunities because of penalties.

The Texans were penalized 13 times for over 100 yards, and the defense takes the brunt of the blame on that one. 

Many of the penalties were nothing more than mental errors, too, such as lining up in the neutral zone.

Lastly, special teams continue to be a microcosm of the Texans' season in general—tons of potential and opportunities, but too many mistakes and mental errors.

In the last few weeks, the special teams have had a number of long returns called back because of penalties and this week, they gave the Colts an extra opportunity after an offsides penalty on fourth down.

And while there were many opportunities missed throughout the entire game, the Texans could have sent the game to overtime with a field goal, but Kris Brown pulled the kick left.

For the third time this season, the Texans had a very makeable opportunity late in the fourth quarter to come from behind and tie a game, and for the third time, they did not convert.

They again showed that they will never give up in a game and that they have the confidence and ability to come back from nearly any deficit, but the fact that they continue to put themselves behind in the first place is just part of the maddening inconsistency that has defined their season.

Conversely, in the last two weeks, the Colts have had to make a late push to have a chance to win, and they made the necessary plays to secure the victory.

Therein lies the difference between 8-0 and 5-4.

The Texans now have two weeks to review their season and make adjustments while their fans are left asking, "what if?"