Indianapolis (+ 8 1/2) at Houston

[Tark The Shark]

I don't see the Colts going into Houston and beating up on the Texans.

Unless Luck stops making erratic throws, the o-line plays well, and the defense creates turnovers.

[oldunclemark]

I think this is a win-win situation. I hope the Texans play like they did last night. If the Colts win, we got a shot at the division title. If the Texans win, I still think the Colts are going to make the playoffs, plus it keep Houston in front of NE for home field advantage. You always have to have a backup plan. My #1 hope is that Colts win the Super Bowl. If that fails, my backup plan is the Patriots don't! lol

here's another scholar and deep thinker

[Indianapolis-Colts-Fan]

You talk like we have some kind of loooong losing streak against houston on the road. We lost the last 2 times with a totally different team, and a totally different quarterback, coaching staff and players. New England is almost an automatic loss for everybody at home. The Bears and the Jets losses were earlier in the year when we were still finding a team identity. We've grown a bit since then. We are a better defensive team, we've know how to play in tight games, and we even learned a bit about playing in shoot outs against the Lions. Blocking is our biggest issue, but even in games where our blocking is bad we've found ways to win those. If Luck can limit the turnovers to no more than one we've got a pretty good shot. Have a bit more faith, you've been a bit of a pessimist lately!

Again krunk, I agree with you. We've only lost our last two games against Houston at houston. The way everyone is talking I thought maybe I haven't been watching the colts for the last decade and maybe we lost 10 games at Houston.... When is the last time Houston has beaten the colts here in Indy? Never! While I am proud of that fact. It means nothing this season. Or next season. Any given Sunday.

[krunk]

Or tell me how you know for sure..either one...

Hoping to win is something you do when you can't give any reasons for your belief. Whether you agree or not with what I say, I'm known for giving reasons for why I think a certain thing. If I say something, then I have a reason why and I can tell you. Whether or not you agree with me is another story.

Your tone should be telling us how you know for a fact we will lose. And give us something other than "The Texans Will Be Angry", or "We're playing on the road", or "The spread is 8 plus"

Kind of puzzling for you to sit and watch the Texans almost lose to 2 of the worst teams record wise in football, and then look at your own team and say "we don't have a chance!". Your team is a playoff team for crying out loud! Then you sit and watch them(Texans) get basically blanked by a team(the patriots) who we(Colts) scored 24 points on in Foxborough. Not 24 points in garbage time, not 24 points in Lucas Oil, but 24 points in Foxborough on the road, on the Patriots home turf. To be honest with you, no matter what the numbers say I think the Patriots secondary is better than the Texans.

Our defense (especially the run defense) has improved a great deal. Much of the Texans offense is based on what they do in the running game. If you stop or limit what they do in the running game and make them one dimensional, they've(Texans) proven on national stages they have a problem with that and their offense is not the same without it. I think we have the guys to stop them from running. Throw out the numbers, anyone who has watched us lately knows we are pretty stout against the run.

In our secondary, most of our DBs match up with the Texans. The biggest concern is Andre Johnson, but we have Vontae healthy going into this one, as opposed to the New England game where we had Cassius Vaughn, Darius Butler, and Josh Gordy. I think we can take some of the things the Patriots did to defend Johnson in the same manner. Even if it turns into something more like what happened in the Detroit game, Calvin Johnson only scored 1 TD. If we can do that or better in the passing game against Andre Johnson. I have to say I like our chances.

As a team we have scored 35 and 27 in the last 2 games so we are starting to get an increase in our point production. We won a shoot out on the road in Detroit, a shoot out with one of the top offensive teams in the NFL. I don't want to get into a shoot out with the Texans, but we've given evidence we can play a game like that. Their secondary(Texans) gives me no reason to feel like we couldn't put up multiple points.

I don't want to hear the excuse about "Our blocking sucks so the Texans will sack us". We've won games where Luck has been sacked multiple times. The sacks to me are not as big as the turnovers. If Luck can keep us a 0 to 1, or no more than two turnovers then I like our chances. Especially if those turnovers are not things like pick 6, or short field turnovers. In many cases this year, the opposing teams points have come in this area. Not from any type of physical domination, or aerial assault. If we have more than 2 turnovers then I think we are more likely to lose. This is my biggest area of concern, but I think we'll do okay.

I don't know who will be healthy at running back in this game, but I'm hoping Donald Brown will play. I think he can do some of the things Ridley was doing last night if we will give the running game a chance. The Texans have shown that you can run the ball on them if you stick with it. The biggest caveat is Bruce Arians. Will he be smart enough to stay with it?

These are the reasons I believe we can win.

[krunk]

That is deep

I said almost this exact thing to you in your questioning of when the last time it was we won in Houston.

[imacoltfan]

I said almost this exact thing to you in your questioning of when the last time it was we won in Houston.

I do know we are 0-1 in Houston when Ron Dayne runs for 150 yards on Christmas Eve.

[betheafan41]

You were also pessimistic about our chances vs the Lions, Jacksonville, Tennessee, etc, etc. It's getting old...

thats why i asked if that was really nate dunlevy, because its exactly what he does. he goes against the colts reguardless of who their playing lol

[betheafan41]

Hoping to win is something you do when you can't give any reasons for your belief. Whether you agree or not with what I say, I'm known for giving reasons for why I think a certain thing. If I say something, then I have a reason why and I can tell you. Whether or not you agree with me is another story.

Your tone should be telling us how you know for a fact we will lose. And give us something other than "The Texans Will Be Angry", or "We're playing on the road", or "The spread is 8 plus"

Kind of puzzling for you to sit and watch the Texans almost lose to 2 of the worst teams record wise in football, and then look at your own team and say "we don't have a chance!". Your team is a playoff team for crying out loud! Then you sit and watch them(Texans) get basically blanked by a team(the patriots) who we(Colts) scored 24 points on in Foxborough. Not 24 points in garbage time, not 24 points in Lucas Oil, but 24 points in Foxborough on the road, on the Patriots home turf. To be honest with you, no matter what the numbers say I think the Patriots secondary is better than the Texans.

Our defense (especially the run defense) has improved a great deal. Much of the Texans offense is based on what they do in the running game. If you stop or limit what they do in the running game and make them one dimensional, they've(Texans) proven on national stages they have a problem with that and their offense is not the same without it. I think we have the guys to stop them from running. Throw out the numbers, anyone who has watched us lately knows we are pretty stout against the run.

In our secondary, most of our DBs match up with the Texans. The biggest concern is Andre Johnson, but we have Vontae healthy going into this one, as opposed to the New England game where we had Cassius Vaughn, Darius Butler, and Josh Gordy. I think we can take some of the things the Patriots did to defend Johnson in the same manner. Even if it turns into something more like what happened in the Detroit game, Calvin Johnson only scored 1 TD. If we can do that or better in the passing game against Andre Johnson. I have to say I like our chances.

As a team we have scored 35 and 27 in the last 2 games so we are starting to get an increase in our point production. We won a shoot out on the road in Detroit, a shoot out with one of the top offensive teams in the NFL. I don't want to get into a shoot out with the Texans, but we've given evidence we can play a game like that. Their secondary(Texans) gives me no reason to feel like we couldn't put up multiple points.

I don't want to hear the excuse about "Our blocking sucks so the Texans will sack us". We've won games where Luck has been sacked multiple times. The sacks to me are not as big as the turnovers. If Luck can keep us a 0 to 1, or no more than two turnovers then I like our chances. Especially if those turnovers are not things like pick 6, or short field turnovers. In many cases this year, the opposing teams points have come in this area. Not from any type of physical domination, or aerial assault. If we have more than 2 turnovers then I think we are more likely to lose. This is my biggest area of concern, but I think we'll do okay.

I don't know who will be healthy at running back in this game, but I'm hoping Donald Brown will play. I think he can do some of the things Ridley was doing last night if we will give the running game a chance. The Texans have shown that you can run the ball on them if you stick with it. The biggest caveat is Bruce Arians. Will he be smart enough to stay with it?

These are the reasons I believe we can win.

that is our kryptonite. the turnovers. from what i saw with the pats last night, they were double teaming Watt forcing other players to make a move on brady and kept a RB in the back field at all times. if we can duplicate that luck should have just enough time to find someone open.

second: they doubled up on Andre Johnson, after stopping the run and forcing houston to start throwing. if we can stop the run game there is that good chance we could force schaub in a situation where he is uncomftorble. we still gotta remember we have Freeney and MAthis still. this is where i feel we need to blitz more. send guys from every direction.

so if the colts are gonna win this game, like you said turnover free and we need to force a turnover or two ourselves. on top of getting points on the board on almost every possession. because this could turn into a shoot out.

[Coltsman1788]

krunk.....Come on man....the spread is 8 1/2.

we didnt come close in NY. Chicgao or NE.....

... I dont have faith we'll win ......I'm very agnostic about Colts-Houston

..and everyone is....truth be told....

Have faith agnostic one. You've had it all year. Told me we'd be in playoffs when I thought you were just a crazy ole Unc. Face it, we may be underdogs but if the Colts have proven anything this season is that they should never be counted out.

[Malakai432]

Have faith agnostic one. You've had it all year. Told me we'd be in playoffs when I thought you were just a crazy ole Unc. Face it, we may be underdogs but if the Colts have proven anything this season is that they should never be counted out.

The belief in Tim Tebow is strong in this one.

[hawkeyes]

Colts win out right ...

[CR91]

i dont know why people think all because the texans got their butts whooped that their gonna come out ticked. if for all we know they could come out underestimating us and think this is an easy win.