Houston (+6) @ Indianapolis (12-11-16)

[oldunclemark]

 1 p.m. EST   Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon (only because Spiro Dedes and Solomon Wilcotts are being forced to do the Bears game)  on CBS

blizzard outsider/warm inside over-under 46.5

 

Texan QB Brock Osweiler (260 of 435, 2, 509 yards, 14 TDs, 13 INTs) has one last chance here to rescue his season

and he'll be throwing to DeAndre Hopkins (58 catches, 668 yards) and handing it to Lamer Miller (225 runs, 903 yards)

ND rookie Will Fuller has to be a big play factor here with WR Braxton Miller out. Brock throws the deep ball well..

The Texans have scored 20 TDs (only 4 rush TDs) and kicked 23 field goals ..that's bad

 

Andrew Luck (258 of 403, 3,105 yards, 23 TDs, 8 INTs) has his two 3 receivers and top two tight ends relatively healthy and that might mean some no-huddle, fast break series.

Frank Gore (198 runs, 749 yards) averages only 3.8 per carry but he hasn't lost a fumble all year..

Colts have just 22 QB sacks and 6 pass interceptions in 12 games ...They are missing some key players on defense and they didn't have a ton of speed or experience there to being with.    The worry here, even if the Colts get a lead is that they drop into safe coverages and give Brock time to throw. That's what happened in the first meeting. a come-from-behind 26-23 Texan win and the Colts are on short rest this time. 

 

 Houston (6-6) has lost three in a row but they take control of the division if they win Sunday and Tennessee (6-6 loses at home to Denver.  The Colts, with 4 games to go, they win the AFC South if they go 4-0. But this is the one remaining game they cannot lose because it would give Houston a series sweep and all the tiebreakers.

Bottom line: One team walks out of here as toast Sunday night.

 

Six points is way too many....to take the Colts .....but Brock and the boys break down on the road. Cant ride them either

.I like the 'under' here.....this is a 'playoff' game and the points wont come easy

 

 

[DalTXColtsFan]

"One team walks out of here as toast Sunday night" <==don't agree with this statement.

 

If it's the COLTS that lose, then yes, the season is over for them.

If it's the TEXANS that lose, the Colts still have to beat Minnesota and Oakland both on the road (plus Jacksonville at home) to take the division and that is NOT a guarantee.  I like Houston's chances against Tennessee and Cincinnati more than I like Indy's against Minn and Oak.

 

And don't count Tennessee out of this race.  Denver, @KC, @Jax and Hou - not impossible by any means (@KC clearly the toughest test of the 4).

[oldunclemark]

16 minutes ago, DalTXColtsFan said:

"One team walks out of here as toast Sunday night" <==don't agree with this statement.

 

If it's the COLTS that lose, then yes, the season is over for them.

If it's the TEXANS that lose, the Colts still have to beat Minnesota and Oakland both on the road (plus Jacksonville at home) to take the division and that is NOT a guarantee.  I like Houston's chances against Tennessee and Cincinnati more than I like Indy's against Minn and Oak.

 

And don't count Tennessee out of this race.  Denver, @KC, @Jax and Hou - not impossible by any means (@KC clearly the toughest test of the 4).

I didn't count Tennessee out....

But Texas is smoked if they lose their 4th in  a row......They'd be 6-7..

....I dont see the turnaround you lay out there. ..and I dont much like the Texans chances against Cincy...

..and the Colts can afford an NFC loss at Minneosta

 

To me,  the Texans are in a slide..and they have to stop it Sunday...or you can get out the butter and jelly.

Its toast time.

[DalTXColtsFan]

1 hour ago, oldunclemark said:

I didn't count Tennessee out....

But Texas is smoked if they lose their 4th in  a row......They'd be 6-7..

....I dont see the turnaround you lay out there. ..and I dont much like the Texans chances against Cincy...

..and the Colts can afford an NFC loss at Minneosta

 

To me,  the Texans are in a slide..and they have to stop it Sunday...or you can get out the butter and jelly.

Its toast time.

Fair enough.  One thing's for sure - neither team wants to lose!

 

Back to your actual post, I take the over on 46.5 all day.  The Colts will score 27+ against that depleted defense and the Colts won't be able to hold Miller, Fuller and Hopkins to under 20.

 

I like the Colts by more than 6.  The first game should have been a blowout.  This game is in Indy.  This Colts team is playing better than they were however many weeks ago.

 

We'll see!

[2006Coltsbestever]

Just now, DalTXColtsFan said:

Fair enough.  One thing's for sure - neither team wants to lose!

 

Back to your actual post, I take the over on 46.5 all day.  The Colts will score 27+ against that depleted defense and the Colts won't be able to hold Miller, Fuller and Hopkins to under 20.

 

I like the Colts by more than 6.  The first game should have been a blowout.  This game is in Indy.  This Colts team is playing better than they were however many weeks ago.

 

We'll see!

I think whoever wins this game will win the Division. It's not a guarantee but it is probable. I think the Colts can go at least 9-7 if they get beat Houston and I don't see the Titans winning out either, they will lose to either Denver or at KC. We have the tiebreaker over the Titans if both end up 9-7. I also like the Titans chances of beating Houston because that game is at Tennessee. 

[oldunclemark]

33 minutes ago, DalTXColtsFan said:

Fair enough.  One thing's for sure - neither team wants to lose!

 

Back to your actual post, I take the over on 46.5 all day.  The Colts will score 27+ against that depleted defense and the Colts won't be able to hold Miller, Fuller and Hopkins to under 20.

 

I like the Colts by more than 6.  The first game should have been a blowout.  This game is in Indy.  This Colts team is playing better than they were however many weeks ago.

 

We'll see!

I think we are more likely to win a high scoring game and that a low-scoring one.....

I hope you are right..

[IinD]

I'm just hoping they ride the confidence of the Jets beatdown and play like they are a dangerous offensive team.

 

We've seen when they come out looking tentative on their first drive or two we're usually in for a long day.

 

They have to come out firing and not let hou think they have a shot at winning this one by hanging around and pulling one out.

 

The MLB play has to at least stay where it is and not drop off to much much with DQ out. Here's hoping to potentially better play at mlb...I can dream.

 

If we lose we're screwed obviously so hopefully they're ready to play.

[oldunclemark]

Man. Just watching the NFL Network and Heath Evans picked us to lose.

Doggone it...I'm just shocked.

[2006Coltsbestever]

11 minutes ago, oldunclemark said:

Man. Just watching the NFL Network and Heath Evans picked us to lose.

Doggone it...I'm just shocked.

It's funny how we are in his head and he is starting to really look bad at this point. He picked us to go 6-10 and after tomorrow we possibly will be 7-6 and in 1st place. If we win tomorrow the 1st place I am putting it on is the NFL Network  just to see him cry.

[NorthernBlue]

24 minutes ago, oldunclemark said:

Man. Just watching the NFL Network and Heath Evans picked us to lose.

Doggone it...I'm just shocked.

He also picked Indianapolis to lose the Jets game last week.

 

You know what? Go ahead Heath, pick the Colts to lose every game please. It seems to be working out well for them.

[RockThatBlue]

6 hours ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

I think whoever wins this game will win the Division. It's not a guarantee but it is probable. I think the Colts can go at least 9-7 if they get beat Houston and I don't see the Titans winning out either, they will lose to either Denver or at KC. We have the tiebreaker over the Titans if both end up 9-7. I also like the Titans chances of beating Houston because that game is at Tennessee. 

This. Its a must win for the Colts. Its basically a playoff game. The loser of the game probably isn't going to the playoffs, or it would be very improbable at the very least. Its the closest thing to a do or die game for us.

[Jdubu]

We can't let up on the defensive side if we get a lead. I'll. NEver understand the rationale for playing drastically different once you have a double digit lead than you did to get to that point. It would honestly be a little different if you had an offense that was a threat to break off 10+ yard runs to bleed the clock but we don't have that and 3&outs are a deflator for our defense when we have a lead and the. Ask them to play softer. 

 

We need some slants, some screens (that work) dump offs over the middle to TE's and then open it up later in the game once we've leaned on their defense effectively wearing them down. I'd rather nickel and dime them to submission with an occasional strike downfield than to rely on 30+ yard strikes more often. 

 

 

[braveheartcolt]

As we have no clue what Colts team will turn up on any given week, trying to hypothosis the next four games is verging on the ridiculous. Strangly, I think we will roll the Texans today, but that is a foolish thing to say....really foolish.....

[oldunclemark]

2 minutes ago, braveheartcolt said:

As we have no clue what Colts team will turn up on any given week, trying to hypothosis the next four games is verging on the ridiculous. Strangly, I think we will roll the Texans today, but that is a foolish thing to say....really foolish.....

BHC..that's so true...

Actually...trying to predict anything in the NFL beyond the week directly in front of you is crazy.

Every team's situation changes from week to week..the roster changes...weather changes....mood changes.

NE, Seattle, ..key personal losses in the last 3 weeks..who knew?

[The Old Crow]

I'm picking the Colts here and for the division. 

[NewColtsFan]

11 hours ago, oldunclemark said:

Man. Just watching the NFL Network and Heath Evans picked us to lose.

Doggone it...I'm just shocked.

 

There's always one.

 

Over on ESPN this week, everyone that I saw picked the Colts.     Everyone.

 

Well.....     everyone but one.      And we all know who the "one" was.....

 

Tedy Bruschi.       He took the Titans.

 

If there was someone else there who also did,   I didn't see that....

 

[oldunclemark]

Antonio Morrison is calling defensive signals today..?  In place of DQ Jackson

Maybe I wasnt paying attention but I didn't know that until now...

 

I'm sure he did that in college..but ...well..i just didn't know that until now

[CR91]

didnt think we'd be favored that much. I would have guessed +3

[John Waylon]

looooool. 

 

That was the most Colts performance of the season.

 

Biggest game of the season and we folded in the moment like butter in an oven.

[The Old Crow]

Pretty surprised. That was the kind of game Luck usually pulled out in the past. 

[ColtsSouljah]

That head ref must be overjoyed. Clearly he had a lot of money on the Texans.

[John Waylon]

Just now, ColtsSouljah said:

That head ref must be overjoyed. Clearly he had a lot of money on the Texans.

 

Yeah, that's why the Texans got called for twice the yardage we did...

 

Make better posts. 

[ColtsSouljah]

Just now, John Waylon said:

 

Yeah, that's why the Texans got called for twice the yardage we did...

 

Make better posts. 

 

Good calls are good calls and blown calls are blown calls. The quality of the officiating is NOT determined by who had more penalty yards. There were at LEAST three MAJOR blown calls in the 4th in Houston's favor and O major blown calls in our favor the whole game.
That's just reality.

[John Waylon]

2 minutes ago, ColtsSouljah said:

 

Good calls are good calls and blown calls are blown calls. The quality of the officiating is NOT determined by who had more penalty yards. There were at LEAST three MAJOR blown calls in the 4th in Houston's favor and O major blown calls in our favor the whole game.
That's just reality.

 

So you're telling the world that the officials cost us this game?

 

It wasn't poor defense, or poor QB play, poor play calling, poor play from the receivers?

 

[ColtsSouljah]

9 minutes ago, John Waylon said:

 

So you're telling the world that the officials cost us this game?

 

It wasn't poor defense, or poor QB play, poor play calling, poor play from the receivers?

 

 

Please show me where I said that. Just as many are pointing out how poorly the Colts played, I have pointed how bad the head official was. The two are not mutually exclusive. This isn't that hard.

[John Waylon]

1 minute ago, ColtsSouljah said:

 

Please show me where I said that. Just as many are pointing out how poorly the Colts played, I have pointed how bad the head official was. The two are not mutually exclusive. This isn't that hard.

 

Right. I'll keep that in mind.