In three of their last five games, the Texans play Tennessee and Indianapolis, providing them with an opportunity to impact the AFC South title chase.
With quarterback Deshaun Watson playing better than any time in his four-year career, the Texans are capable of pulling upsets. They should be underdogs against every opponent other than Cincinnati.
While the Texans got the weekend off after their 41-25 Thanksgiving Day victory over Detroit, the Titans and Colts played at Lucas Oil Stadium for first place in the division.
The Titans pulverized the Colts 45-26 to earn a split of their series. Tennessee (8-3) has a one-game lead over Indianapolis (7-4), with each team winning in the other’s stadium.
Two weeks ago, the Colts won 34-17 at Nissan Stadium. Don’t be surprised if they play a third time in the playoffs.
The Texans got some well-deserved rest and relaxation after their second consecutive victory that elevated their record to 4-7, including 4-3 since interim coach Romeo Crennel replaced the fired Bill O’Brien after an 0-4 start.
The Texans return Sunday against Indianapolis at NRG Stadium. It’s the first of two games against the Colts, who’ll bring a nasty attitude into the game after getting obliterated by the Titans at home, where they were favored.
Watching the Titans have their most prolific scoring game of the season was surprising, considering they were on the road playing against a premier defense.
The Colts went into the game second in the NFL in defense (298.1-yard average), including third against the run (89.2). They got a dose of that Tennessee poison the Titans administered to the Texans — running back Derrick Henry and a powerful running game.
Henry plowed through the Indianapolis defense for 178 yards and three touchdowns. The Titans finished with 449 yards, including 229 rushing. In their 42-36 overtime conquest of the Texans, the Titans generated 263 yards rushing, including 212 by Henry.
Now, in fairness to the Colts, they were missing a couple of their best defensive players, but it was still a humiliating performance with first place at stake.
When they prepare to come to Houston, the Colts won’t have to worry about a running game like they faced against Tennessee. The Texans don’t have a running back like Henry, of course, but they should get back starter David Johnson, who’s missed the last three games with a concussion.
After spending three games on injured reserve, Johnson is eligible to be activated if he completes the concussion protocols this week. Before he was injured, Johnson led the Texans with 408 yards, including a 4-yard average. In his last three games, they averaged 92.6 yards. Without him, they averaged 74.
Having David Johnson in the backfield with Duke Johnson would improve the running game. They haven’t needed much of a rushing attack because Watson has been on an incredible nine-game run with 22 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 118.4 rating.
Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw for 221 yards and a touchdown against Indianapolis. Because he has such a formidable weapon in Henry, the Colts — like every defense — have to concentrate on him so much that Tannehill’s passing is built around the play-action game, and he knows how to take advantage of that strategy.
Like other Texans’ games, it’ll come down to how well Watson and his receivers play and how many touchdowns they can provide the offense. It’s doubtful the Texans will be able to run on the Colts no matter who plays running back.
Until this season when they started 0-4, the Texans thought the division title was their birthright. They went into O’Brien’s seventh season trying to win the AFC South for the fifth time in six years.
Now the division title is going to be won by the Titans or Colts. Tennessee hasn’t won the AFC South since 2008, Indianapolis since 2014, O’Brien’s first season. It’s strange to think Jacksonville (2017) has won the division since the Colts and Titans.
After finishing 11-5 and 10-6 the last two seasons, the Texans were projected to compete with the Tennessee and Colts, but now it’s a two-team race. With the way Watson has been playing and the improved run defense, the Texans have a chance to upset the Colts while the Titans are hosting the surprising Browns (8-3).
The Texans have every intention of defeating the Colts and increasing their winning streak to three games. They’re excited to see what December has in store against the Colts twice, Chicago and Cincinnati before they finish Jan. 3 at home against the Titans.
In January, owner Cal McNair will hire a new general manager and head coach. Meanwhile, his coaches and players are determined to finish on a strong note after the horrendous start.
“It’s a tremendous positive if we can win in that last month,” Crennel said after the victory at Detroit. “It’s hard to come back in this league. It’s hard to come back in a game, and it’s difficult to come back in the season, as well.
“When you start 0-4, season implications, playoff implications and attitude implications are factored in. For these guys to hang in there and keep fighting, they should be complimented for doing that.”
As should Crennel and the assistants.
Indianapolis gives the Texans their seventh chance to beat a team with a winning record. They won’t need a Titans-type performance to do it, but they will need to be better than they played against the Patriots and Lions if they want to accomplish that feat for the first time.
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McClain: How Texans will factor into AFC South race - Houston Chronicle
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