Texans Will Finish Surprising Season With Win

Texans vs. Colts, 8:15 ET

Are you looking for some playoff football earlier than next week? Look no further my friends! Tonight, we get a matchup that will decide the division and likely the playoff contenders. I could be wrong, but with a Steelers loss earlier in the day, the game may only decide who takes the division. If the Steelers win, I think this also means whoever wins this game is in, and the loser is out. All of that to say, this game matters for both the Texans and Colts.

The Texans have to be the surprise of the NFL season for even the more seasoned fans of the league. They drafted CJ Stroud and everything has seemingly turned around for them. Stroud has thrown for 3,844 yards on the year and 21 touchdowns to just five interceptions. He is well on his way to Offensive Rookie of the Year for the Texans. Stroud has been very impressive this year, and perhaps what is most remarkable is that he hasn't even played in every game this year. It isn't just his arrival that has made Houston successful. The defense has been very strong this season. They have allowed just 328 yards per game to opponents which places them in the top half of the league and they have allowed 20.9 points per game to opponents, another strong representation. Where they really excel is stopping the opponents running game. What do the Colts like to do most? Run the football. If they can keep Jonathan Taylor and Zach Moss from getting going in this game, the Texans should be able to at least manage to contain Gardner Minshew.

CINCINNATI, OHIO - DECEMBER 10: Gardner Minshew #10 of the Indianapolis Colts reacts during the first half of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on December 10, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

It is a pretty common cliche to say "Next man up." or "We just find a way to win." But, both of those exemplify how the Colts have performed this season. Jonathan Taylor didn't start the year with the Colts and Moss took over. The drop off wasn't that significant. They had Anthony Richardson under center to start the year and when he went down, Minshew took over and they didn't have a huge drop off. Some would even argue that Minshew is a better quarterback than Richardson is right now, but we can save that debate for a later date. While the Texans defense has supported their offense this season, the Colts defense has not. They are one of the worst teams in terms of points allowed to opponents and don't really stop anyone via the ground or pass. If Stroud gets into a rhythm, this game will ve over very fast for the Colts.

I know that the Colts are playing at home, but I feel like the better team in this game is Houston. I do have a bit of reservation about picking a rookie quarterback on the road. I also am impressed by what Minshew has done since he took over the team. I'll take the Texans here in what should be a close game. I think when it comes down to it, the Texans defense will get the stop needed to finish it off.

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