Official Texans @ Colts Game Thread, 10/20/2019
 

The 4-2 Texans are on the road again to Indianapolis to play an early Sunday game against the 3-2 Colts. The Colts are coming off their bye week and should be well rested. The Texans are coming off a 31-24 road win over the KC Chiefs.

The Texans are 8-26 all time vs. the Colts (0-1 in the playoffs) but 4-4 over the last 4 years. The Texans are 4-2 ATS, the Colts are 4-1 ATS.

This will be the Texans biggest test, yet, as it is tough to win two road games in a row in the NFL. They can make a statement with a win. However, I'm not feeling it. I've got the Colts winning by a field goal.

Colts 24, Texans 21

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TV = CBS (channel 11 local), noon CST, Sunday, 10/20/2019

Announcers = Greg Gumbel, Trent Green

The line = Pickem to Colts by 1

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Other Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

FOX (early) = Arizona @ NY Giants, Kenny Albert, Greg Olsen

FOX (late) = New Orleans @ Chicago, Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman

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Prime time:

TNF = Kansas City @ Denver (FOX/NFLN)

SNF = Philadelphia @ Dallas (NBC)

MNF = New England @ NY Jets (ESPN)

Byes: Carolina, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay

Which means on a neutral field, Vegas says this is Houston by 2. Maybe we get lucky and Frank Lloyd Reich decides to go for it on 4th down from his own end of the field again - one of last year's stupidest calls.

IIRC, we haven't beaten Brisket yet - whether as a Colt or a Patriot.

ESPN has another great matchup this week for Monday Night. Darnold Duck has recovered from mono and is now back to playing in stereo. The refs, fresh off their winning the game for Aaron Rodgers last Monday will make sure the Jets have no chance against Brady, if it's even necessary.

Ya know, I was looking at how the Raiders went into Indianapolis and pulled off the upset:

1. Raiders QB Derek Carr had no INT's but did fumble once. The Colts turned it over twice - a Brissett INT and WR Parris Campbell fumbled.

2. The Raiders had a 30-yard pick 6 on the Brissett INT.

3. The Raiders had a 60-yard TD run from RB Trevor Davis.

4. TY Hilton DNP.

5. Time of possession went to the Raiders 33:41 to the Colts 26:19.

OTOH, the Raiders (of course) had 11 penalties for 80 yards giving the Colts 4 first downs from penalty.

So, there's the blueprint.....

That's how the Raiders did it, but their whole season reveals a simple blueprint.

In the Colts 3 wins they have after 1 quarter lead every time. In their 2 losses they trail after the 1st every time.

They can't throw the ball. They can run the ball. They can rush the passer. Lead after the 1st quarter and you win.

My goodness, the Astros certainly had Minute Maid Park rockin' last night. After Osuna gave everyone a Lidge/Pujols moment (reminding everyone that they still live in Houston), Jose Altuve sent everyone home with a grin on their face.

Congratulations, Astros, on heading to another World Series!

Gametime in about 2 hrs, 20 minutes.....

Gametime!

Colts win the toss and defer. Texans to receive.

Texans get to about midfield and then have to punt.

Punt is downed at the Colt 6 yard line. Colts ball.

10:00 left in the 1st qtr.

Colts drive for 94 yards and Brissett hits Pascal for the 6 yard TD.

Colts 7, Texans 0

5:01 left in the 1st qtr.

Texans stop the Colts on 4th and 1!

Texan's ball at the Colt 45.

13:04 left in the half.

Fairbairn is good from 47 yards.

Colts 7, Texans 3

8:59 left in the half.


Texans with 6 penalties for 35 yards, Colts with zero.

Colts with 2 first downs from penalty.

Colts with a penalty! Holding!

Turnover! Brissett bobbles the snap and the Texans fall on it at the Colt 4 yard line! Texans ball!

Wow, Texans get hosed on TD pass to Hop. Watson is ruled in the grasp.

Texans have to settle for the 31-yard Fairbairn FG.

Colts 7, Texans 6

6:25 left in the half.

Colts drive down and Brissett hits TY Hilton for a 2 yard TD.

Colts 14, Texans 6

1:49 left in the half.

Texans put a quick drive together and have to settle for a 26-yard FG by Fairbairn.

Colts 14, Texans 9

27 seconds left in the half.

Colts take the 2nd half kickoff and drive down and score on a 4-yard pass to Ebron. Initially ruled incomplete but overturned on replay.

Colts 21, Texans 9

10:29 left in the 3rd qtr.

Big pass play to Stills has the Texans knocking on the door again.... 45 yards.

Pitchout to Coutee goes for the TD, 4 yards.

Colts 21, Texans 16

8:43 left in the 3rd qtr.

Penalties aid the Colts in a time consuming drive. Pascal takes the shovel pass for the 3-yard TD.

Colts 28, Texans 16

1:14 left in the 3rd qtr.

Texans have a quick drive right when they need it and Watson hits Hop for the 4-yard TD pass.

Colts 28, Texans 23

6:38 left in the game.

Defense, pretty please with a cherry on top?

The Texans hold the Colts but are now backed up.

The Texans go 3 and out and take a safety instead of punting.

Colts 30, Texans 23.

The Colts bring the ensuing kickoff back to about their 20.

Colts face 2nd and 12 at the 2 minute warning.

Texans with 2 timeouts.

Colts have to punt with 1:49 left in the game.

Texans with no timeouts.

Gaines shaken up on the play....

Texans with the ball at their 36.

1:17 left in the game.

False start on Texans causes a 10 second run off.

3rd and 9 with 59 seconds left....

Pass to Akins goes to midfield, 1st down.

Pass goes off the hands of Coutee and into the hands of Leonard for an INT.

Play is under review....

Colt's ball.

Colts kneel it.

Final score:

Colts 30, Texans 23

Too many dumb penalties and mistakes. Texans did not deserve to win. Hard to be angry when the results were easily predictable.

Maybe it's because the Astros are headed for the WS, right now I just can't be too upset about the Texans game today.
So when is O'Brien gonna learn you can't win up in Indy with FGs ?

Yep, I think a lot of us are that way. A Texan loss can sometimes bum me out for a bit. But not today. No way.

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As mentioned, too many miscues. Sloppy football. I had no problem with the Texans taking the safety towards the end as it probably gave them a huge chunk of yardage over punting the football. Both scenarios were dependent on the Texan defense stopping the Colts. And they did. Timeouts could have been used better but alternate realities aside, the Texans had their chance. A pass off Coutee's hands stopped the drive and ended their last hope....

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The Texans have two games before the bye - Oakland @ home and the Jags in London. I see no reason why they shouldn't be able to win both and go into the bye at 6-3.

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The NFL must hate the Raiders. They scheduled them 5 road games (one in London) in a row. After the London game vs. Bears, they at least got a breather with a bye week. They lost to the Packers in Green Bay today, play the Texans on Sunday at NRG to complete the traveling.

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I don't know what it is about that building in Indianapolis but the refs love to give the Colts first downs from penalties. This has been going on a while. I documented a little study I did several years ago and posted it right here in this forum. Perhaps it still exists. Anyhoo, I looked at "1st downs from penalties in Colts vs. Texans games". IIRC, it was like a 4 or 5 year study and began at the end of the Peyton Manning era. The results were something like 19 first downs for the Colts from penalty and 2 for the Texans (or was it 21-4?). At any rate, it was horrifically lopsided in the Colts favor. Today, the Colts had five 1st downs from penalty. The Texans had zero.

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Early line has moved up to Texans by 6½ to 7 over the Raiders.

If the play is blown dead for in the grasp then how does he still get hit? If the play was blown dead it should be a personal foul when he gets high lowed. If it's not blown dead it's a TD.

How do you claim you blew the whistle to protect his health but then still let him take the shot after your whistle? Brutal.

Yep. Cowher tried to defend the refs for this at the half citing "safety" and "protecting the QB". Esiason and others countered that "he still got hit".

How many times has Russell Wilson been allowed to throw the ball away for an incompletion while being "in the grasp"?

Not very consistent, this rule..... In fact, I'd say more often than not, the QB is allowed to get rid of the ball until he hits the ground....

The NFL must hate the Raiders. They scheduled them 5 road games (one in London) in a row.

The NFL hating the Raiders has been a tradition since AFL Commissioner Al Davis forced the league into absorbing the entire AFL and not cherry-picking the teams they wanted to take like they did the All-American Football Conference (AAFC) in the 1940s which is how the Browns, Rams and 49ers entered the league. Davis and then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle feuded until their last breaths.

But this schedule quirk actually has a different reason. The Raiders are the last NFL team that shares their ballpark with a Major League Baseball team and the league had no way of knowing how long the Oakland A's would last in the playoffs so they blocked every potential conflict the baseball team might have when they drew up the schedules last spring.

In "shared tenant" facilities, one franchise usually has "primary renter" status and that's going to be the A's that play 81 dates there, not the Raiders who play 10 at most. The Raiders also played a pre-season "home" date in Canada because of the stadium conflict. Certainly, the Raiders were not going to get any preferential treatment when they've already announced their move to Las Vegas next year.

Ironically, the NFL still has scheduling conflicts with MLB in locations like Baltimore and Kansas City but not because they share the same stadium but the two stadiums share the same parking lots.

That was just brutal. The in the grasp bullshit has been covered enough, but game management and play calling from BOB were both about as bad as you could imagine. Having to call time out in order to get your punter to take a safety to save time and field position, well, I don't know how you manage to do that and still keep a job. And then, rather than just snap the fkin ball over the guy's head, they snap it to the idiot who dances around in the end zone for a few seconds like the team has a ten point lead. Just unimaginable idiocy in every regard.

The play calling in the red zone was terrible. The play calling on first down was chromosomally deficient, the play calling on third down was outright brain dead, I mean, between BOB reminding me who he is and the injuries to the secondary I've gone from thinking that the Texans can beat anyone to wondering if they'll ever win another game.

Good stuff. I remember Pete Rozelle and Al Davis not having the best relationship but I never knew the nuances....

As for the Raiders being the last remaining team that has to play on a baseball field for part of the season, seems like the Jets and Chiefs (I think) had to do this too back in the day.... probably more...

That penalties stat is really a stunning piece of info.

Eheh. I checked Colts home games so far this year at Lucas Oil Stadium.... They have played three home games (Atlanta, Oakland, Houston). The 1st downs from penalty count =

Colts 16, opponents 2

"Normal" numbers on 1st downs from penalty per game are 0, 1, 2..... The Colts are averaging over 5 per game at Lucas.

In their defense, they are, along with the Carolina Panthers, the two least penalized teams in the league. A sign of good coaching, I'd say.

Our Texans are bottom 7 in penalties (57) and penalty yardage (475). We have good company with Cowboys, Vikings, Browns, Jags, Chiefs, Falcons as the most penalized teams in the league....