AFC South showdown: Indianapolis Colts & Houston Texans desperate for wins – NFL Preview
The otherwise impressive Houston Texans found themselves completely helpless on the offensive and defensive lines alike in front of the too strong New England Patriots a week earlier and now appear to be on the brink of either letting out their frustration
on the Indianapolis Colts or slipping even further down when they face the visitors in a total American Football Conference (AFC) South showdown this Sunday (Dec. 16).
It was a total collapse for the Texans versus the Patriots who went on to rip through their defences to score huge 42 points and suffocated their offence so much that the Texans’ star offensive trio was allowed only 14 points.
Now the situation will be different for them this weekend. They are hosting the Indianapolis Colts who need only a win to confirm their place in the playoffs, while a win by the Texans will allow them to clinch the AFC South title second time.
The game is expected to be very tough given both sides have star performers. The Texans’ miserable loss to the Patriots has shown the team is still fighting the tag of the playoffs minnows, no matter they are 11-2 in the season.
It is expected that Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck is going to expose them again and a victory by the visitors is very much possible on the card. Luck said that they will play their natural game.
He said:
"Everybody on the team - offensively, defensively, special teams - just plays football. They're not worried about the scoreboard too much, not worried about what's going on. They're aware of the situations, and we just go out there and play football to the
best of our abilities. It's just not over-thinking all the situations."
On other hand, the Texans’ coach has admitted they lately have got issues with their offence, which he will be looking to overcome before the game.
Gary said:
"We've got issues. We've got to stop people better, we've got to move the ball better, and we've got to get rid of penalties on special teams. We've got to play better than we've played."
So altogether the Colts stand a chance of beating their AFC South rivals in front of their home crowd. Their confidence is very high. They only need Luck to find rhythm and form.
Nevertheless, odds seem to be slightly in favour of the Texans, and given they have lost only two games in the entire season, a win is likely to be theirs. They certainly should expect tough fight by the visitors and a close finish at the end.
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