(Photo: Fox 59)
AFC Game Of The Week
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans
Colts: This is one of those teams I’m still trying to figure out. I believe Anthony Richardson has the potential to be a quality Quarterback in the NFL, but he must start playing smarter. The game has already been maximized for Quarterbacks to the point where if they get hit, it’s an immediate flag on the defense. I watched Anthony in college with the Florida Gators and the way he played at the NCAA level is exactly how he plays in the NFL. Here’s the thing: You can get away with some of those runs in college. In the NFL, not so much and he’s seeing that. He takes unnecessary hits a little too much for my liking which is why he ends up on the injury report. One thing I’ve always realized is how essential it is to have a quality backup and that’s what Joe Flacco has provided. I understand it’s two different styles of play for both Quarterbacks, but I feel that Flacco gives them a better chance to win. Let’s say he did play in that game on Sunday in week seven, I think the Colts win that game by two touchdowns at least. They’re more efficient when passing the ball having Joe under center. At this moment, the Colts have won two consecutive games and if the playoffs were to start today, they’d be one of the Wild Card teams in the AFC, the sixth seed to be exact. The only thing that concerns me about them is the lack of depth offensively. Outside of Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce Jonathan Taylor, and maybe Josh Downs, who else puts fear into your defense? This Sunday, they will make their way to Houston to face the leaders of the AFC South.
Texans: Sunday was as tough of a loss as it gets. Those closely contested games can go either way and if you go back and watch the tape of that showdown against the Green Bay Packers, neither team could push themselves ahead to control the game. Instead, it came down to a field goal which propelled the Packers to a victory. I like C.J. Stroud just as much as many of you do. I think he’s become one of the elite Quarterbacks in the league. All the quality Quarterbacks are due to struggle now and then and he had the worst game of his young career on Sunday. He completed 10 of his 21 pass attempts and didn’t even eclipse 90 yards passing as he finished the game with 86 passing yards on the day. Also, I noticed situations the Texans’ offense were in where they missed the presence of that number one receiving option in Nico Collins. Every Quarterback has their go-to guy and Nico has emerged as the top target for Stroud. While he was out, you saw how much of an impact having a healthy Joe Mixon makes. I said this last week and I’ll repeat it again. While Collins makes them more of an explosive offense, a healthy Mixon makes them more of a complete and balanced attack. Another reason why things didn’t go their way on Sunday at Lambeau was the poor clock management. Of course, a win would’ve been huge for them and they’d be 6-1, but they’re still in a nice position at 5-2 and atop the division. The Texans will look to get things right on Sunday in a divisional showdown with the Indianapolis Colts.
Colts X-Factor: Josh Downs– He was so much fun to watch in college and he can be just as electric in the NFL. Josh doesn’t attack you with long speed but has that sudden movement that allows him to get open. He has strong hands and catches with them, not his body. Josh can also work against zone defenses such as finding open spots and sitting in the zone and never runs himself into coverage. He also has that elite short-burst acceleration. Getting him the ball early on will force defenses to zoom in on him.
Texans X-Factor: Xavier Hutchinson– Replacing Nico Collins is tough, but it’s always the next man up. The Texans miss that possession presence, but they can work with Xavier Hutchinson. He’s a 6’3 receiver with pure hands and pure talent. He has exceptional ball concentration, physical, fast and he’s a solid route runner. He thrives in those one-on-one situations in single coverage. This could fill the void Collins has left.
Final Thoughts: These two met back in week one and the Texans escaped with a two-point victory. Anytime these teams meet, the games are always close and entertaining. Look at the final game of the season last year in week 18. Houston escaped with a four-point victory en route to a division title for the first time since 2019. A win for the Colts here would tie up the division lead heading into week nine. Also, a key reinforcement could be back for Indy as Jonathan Taylor is expected to return to the field. When they met in week one, Houston shut down the running game and held Taylor to 48 yards rushing. I’m expecting a bounce-back game from Stroud on Sunday. The Colts have many holes in the secondary that he will attack early and often, plus, they will look to establish Mixon against a run defense that has struggled this year. This Colts’ Offensive Line must be on their a-game with a Houston pass rush that’s going to get after Richardson. It’s only these two teams that stand out to me in the AFC South and believe it or not, only a game separates the two. Houston gets back on track on Sunday with a win. The Texans will sweep the season series against the Colts.
Prediction: Texans 38, Colts 24
