Well America, you asked for it, NBC gave it to you. Yes, the highly sought-after and prestigious AFC South crown will be up for grabs tomorrow night on prime time, as the Indianapolis Colts travel to NRG Stadium to square off against the equally disappointing Houston Texans. If you were wondering, the implication that a 2-3 team such as the Colts does in fact have a shot at becoming a division leader, yet again proving that even a blind (140 million-dollar) squirrel can find a nut every once in a while.
Despite a promising 2-0 start to the 2016 season, the Texans have faded back into mediocrity as they have gone 1-2 since, acquired a -38 point differential through those games, and have been embarrassed by two upper-echelon teams in New England and Minnesota. It will now be up to Chuck Pagano to out-coach the Bill O’Brien led Texans sporting the 3rd worst defense in the NFL, on the road.
Help Us Robert Mathis, You’re Our Only Hope
As a 5th round pick out of Alabama A&M back in 2003, pass-rusher Robert Mathis never had to search far for motivation to perform. However, with only 7 sacks over the last 20 games he has played, all signs are indicating that he has either hit a mental or physical wall.
“My wife had to tow me off the ledge a couple of times from Week 1 to now. It’s just sticking to the process. It’ll all work itself out as long as you stay true to the grind,” said Mathis about how he has been taking in his lack of sack production.
Mathis knows that his age, while although working against him, will not be the overwhelming factor that prevents him from getting to the quarterback. For example, Mathis defied doubters back when he led the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2013 at the age of 32. Mathis went on to say, “Father Time is undefeated. He has an undefeated record of whatever the number is. I want to be truthful about it and there’s nothing more you can do, just control what you can.”
Injury Updates
While the Colts are not 100% healthy, they are inching towards getting there. However, there are still a few key players who will not be taking the field this Sunday.
“Four players have been ruled out: Darius Butler, Jon Harrison, Zach Kerr and Donte Moncrief,” said Pagano as he gave out the inactives list on Friday.
The loss of Butler cannot be stressed enough, as Indy’s secondary has struggled mightily as of late. However, no corner has struggled more than Patrick Robinson, who is currently nursing a hip injury.
“He practiced today on a limited basis. The rest of the report will come out later this afternoon,” said Pagano on Robinson’s status. Robinson’s most memorable Week 5 came when Bear’s receiver Cameron Meredith put Robinson on skates for a crucial touchdown on a stop & go.
One positive note in this often disappointing section is that of Henry Anderson. Before tearing his ACL midseason in 2015, Anderson was a Top 15 defensive lineman according to Pro Football Focus.
“He is getting better with every week of practice and every game – fundamentals, technique and more importantly confidence. I think he is not even thinking about that anymore and that will just continue to get better with more play time,” said Pagano on the healing process of Anderson.
What to Watch For
With little to no defensive resistance against the Brian Hoyer-led Chicago Bears, Colts fans watched in horror/embarrassment as Indy allowed 125 rushing yards and nearly 400 passing yards to backups. This week, the Texans, who are tied for last in the NFL in points per game at 16.6, will be looking to jump start their struggling offense. One week removed from allowing a 4th string wide receiver (Meredith) to rack up 9 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown, the supremely talented duo in DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller will be looking to abuse the Colts’ secondary on Sunday.
“Obviously he has great, great speed and can get behind you in a hurry. You can throw him a screen pass and if you are not in position he can split the defense and take it the distance,” said Pagano on the standout rookie Fuller. “I think he averages over 20 yards per catch on third down. I think he has three touchdowns. We have our hands full with that whole crew.”
Defense will again continue to be a point of emphasis for the Colts until they are able to provide turnovers and stops in key moments. One player who will be looking to do just this is defensive lineman Arthur Jones. Jones is finally looking to make his 2016 debut after being suspended for the first four games of the season after using performance enhancing substances.
“I thought he practiced well. Again, we will see how things go but he had a good week. He has had two good weeks so if there was ever a time for him to be ready to roll it would be now,” said Pagano on the timeliness of Jones’ return.
We’ll find out here shortly if the Colts will be able to regain control of their own destiny in Houston.
As always, keep choppin’.
All quotes courtesy of the Colts PR Department.
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