5 Things to watch: Texans at Colts africaleader.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from africaleader.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Facing the Colts twice in three weeks is beyond stressful, so let s calm it all the way down with some good ol behind the numbers.
3 - after not winning a game in Indianapolis in the first thirteen attempts, the Texans have won three of the last five games in Lucas Oil Stadium. The first win was in 2015, with wins in 2016 and 2018, as well.
1 - the Texans have beaten Indianapolis and New England in the same season, just one time - last year. With a win Sunday at Indianapolis, the Texans can make it twice, in consecutive years, with a win over Indy and New England in the same campaign.
Numbers to Know | Daily Brew africaleader.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from africaleader.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
For the most part, since the advent of the Bill O Brien Era in 2014, the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts have traveled roughly the same course year to year. In O Brien s opening season, the Colts went 11-5, while the Texans went 9-7 while improving by seven games over the prior season, so both finished over .500. Same general direction.
Then, the space between the two franchises became air tight. For four straight seasons, 2015 through 2018, they finished the season within a game of each other. Even in 2019, when the late season slide sent the Colts careening to 7-9, they split the two games they played. Until the game back in Week 13 of this season, and going back to 2015, the regular season record between the Colts and Texans was 5-5 and the average score was Colts 22, Texans 21.
Updated Keys to winning v. the Colts Offense
Hilton Honors - Since he finally reached 100% health status, T.Y. Hilton has been on fire for the Colts. In the last three games, Hilton has 17 receptions for 277 yards and four touchdowns. For the season, those numbers account for 37% of his receptions, 46% of his yards and 100% of his touchdowns. The Colts do a bang up job getting him isolated in the passing game, but when it s allowable, the Texans have to bring help on Hilton to keep him from exploding again in the passing game.
Rookie runner - Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is an absolute dude and he s running like the NFL tailback that GM Chris Ballard thought he was drafting at No. 41 in the 2020 NFL Draft. He s got speed to burn and when he gets out into space, it s trouble. Against the Raiders, that s all he had was space, seemingly, but when the Raiders played with proper gap integrity, Taylor was unable to find a gap to sprint through for big yards. Unfortunately, the Raid