Official Texans vs. Colts Game Thread, 12/6/2020
 

The 7-4 Indianapolis Colts come to NRG this Sunday to take on the 4-7 Texans in an early game on CBS. The Colts are coming off a 45-26 home loss to the Tennessee Titans and the Texans should be rested after coming off a 41-25 road win over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Colt's QB Phillip Rivers has 2,978 yards passing (10th) and 16 TDs with 9 INTs and a 93.9 rating. RB Jonathan Taylor has 518 yards rushing with 4 TDs. Also carrying the ball are Jordan Wilkins (293 yds.) and Nyheim Hines (208 yds.). Rivers will throw the ball to TY Hilton ((408 yds), Zach Pascal (407 yds) and RB Nyheim Hines (362 yds). WR Michael Pittman Jr. (330 yds) and TE Mo Alie-Cox (328 yds.), TE Trey Burton (3 TDs) and TE Jack Doyle (3 TDs) round out the likely targets. RB Hines has the most TDs of this group with 4. Even after last week's bashing by the Titans, the Colts defense is still top 5 in yards allowing 311.8 yds/game. The Titans were able to hog the ball against the Colts and had a successful running attack.

First meeting between the Texans and Colts who will play each other again in 2 weeks.

The Texans losing Will Fuller and Bradley Roby hurts bigtime. The Colts haven't lost 2 in a row all year. The Texans would need an inspired A+ effort to win this game, IMO:

Colts 32, Texans 21

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TV = CBS (channel 11 local), noon CST, Sunday, December 6, 2020

Announcers = Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon

The line = Colts by 3 to 3½

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Other Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (late) = Philadelphia @ Green Bay, Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX (late) = LA Rams @ Arizona, Chris Myers, Brock Huard, Greg Jennings

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Prime time:

SNF = Denver @ Kansas City (NBC)

MNF = Buffalo vs San Francisco (in Arizona) (ESPN/ABC)

Tuesday night = Dallas @ Baltimore (FOX/NFLN)

(Note: Monday afternoon game between Washington @ Pittsburgh seems to be out of the Houston viewing area - only available to select cities and Sunday Ticket subscribers.)

Many of us here in Houston may fail to get the Texans game Sunday if our cable provider is AT&T.

Yes, same issue for DirecTV as with AT&T U-Verse. Per DirecTV,
More info on Locast here.

Cool. I'm on Directv and followed the directions, registered at locast.org and Channel 11 is back in business. Picture quality seems to be notch less, though....

Took me a bit to figure out I was watching from an app, now, so you have to Exit out of the app to get back to the regular channels...

DirecTV is owned by AT&T so it makes sense. This is your typical tv carrier vs. local tv channel shakedown. Either way they settle, your cable bill goes up.

Rivers to TY Hilton for a 21 yard TD starts the scoring.

Colts 7, Texans 0

9:52 left in the 1st qtr.

Quick answer. Watson with the deep pass to Coutee and then runs it in from 11 yards on the following play. Texans on the board.

Texans 7, Colts 7

7:51 left in the 1st qtr.

Fairbairn is good from 52.

Texans 10, Colts 7

4:33 left in the 1st qtr.

Colts drive down the field and Hines runs it in from 5 for the TD for the Colts.

Colts 14, Texans 10

41 seconds left in the 1st qtr.

On 4th and 4, Rivers hits Taylor in the flat for 39 yard TD pass.

Colts 21, Texans 10

9:17 left in the half.

David Johnson runs one in from 5 yards.

Colts 21, Texans 17

4:39 left in the half.

Blankenship is good from 42 for a Colt's FG.

Colts 24, Texans 17

1:12 left in the half and the Texans have 1 timeout.

Fairbairn is good from 34 for the Texans with 5 seconds left in the half.

Colts 24, Texans 20

Texans kickoff and the Colts kneel it.

Halftime.

Rivers and Watson both with over 200 yards passing in the 1st half.

Colts with just 27 yards rushing. Texans with 63.

Texans outgained the Colts 266-236.

No turnovers either team.

All other stats kinda even but the Texans trailing by 4.

Somehow the 3rd quarter ends with no scoring. Texans were driving and a pass to Cooks was reviewed and ruled an INT while both players were on the ground and the ball was wrested away from Cooks. Still:

Colts 24, Texans 20

Start of the 4th qtr.

Texans at the 2 yard line and a bad snap to Watson ends it. What a crappy way to end a ballgame.

Indy got a safety earlier. Final score:

Colts 26, Texans 20

Hansen and Coutee both over 100 yards receiving....

Helloooo, anybody home?

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Texans opened as a 3 pt road favorite over the Bears next week. That quickly moved down to 1½.

I wouldn't say bad snap. It wasn't perfect, but that's on Deshaun. He's trying to move before he has the ball.

That was a heart breaker but thankfully I guess the game was meaningless.
Had to settle for watching the game on my PC, never was able to get setup on the TV with U-Verse/channel 11 thru locast.org.
What a PR fiasco - the cable provider and holding company for TV channel 11 manage to time their failed contract renegotiation right during the football season in the state of Texas.

Watching that finish makes one think over some of the most heart-wrenching losses in franchise history. The Rosencopter. The Fail Mary against the Jags.

Watson seemed to suffer emotionally after the game, perhaps because he accepted some or all of the blame on the fumbled snap. Looking back on the season, it's not hard to see this as an 8-4 team, but clearly there are some unforgiveable weaknesses that make it easy to see why they are 4-8. It's mostly an 8-8 league where just a couple plays separate the teams in and out of the playoffs.

The success of Keke Coutee is just the latest in a line of demonstrating how poorly Bill O'Brien and the staff have squandered talent. Why did the team pay for Randall Cobb with Coutee already on the roster? How could Kenny Still be so under-utilized as well? How terrible O'Brien was at evaluating talent at all of the offensive skill positions.

Where was this Hansen kid hiding? He seemed to come out of nowhere.

Oh, well. By choking, the Texans improved the draft position....of the Dolphins.

I think Watson will be fine. And I bet he never takes a snap for granted again. I've seen him rescue bad snaps before.... Not sure if Martin was worried about his blocking assignment or what but he's done this before. Snapping to a shotgun QB isn't rocket science - shouldn't be that tough to hit the QB's waist area consistently.

I was happy for Hansen. I love a good cinderella story (cinderfella?). He got to show his stuff and he showed well. His route running was good. Frequently, guys like him ride the pine simply because the guy(s) in front of them make more money. In the NFL, it's "he makes more than you do and has experience". In college it's "he's a senior, he starts". I'm not fond of that mindset. Unless players like him get to see action, you'll never know what they can do. Some receivers have a knack for getting open - maybe he's got the gene. The Texans should take a longer look at him because if they don't, someone else will give him a chance... He's on the radar screen, now....

Yea white boy Chad with his size & hands has the potential, has the makings of being a decent possession receiver for the Texans, and also looks like he was running some respectable routes.

It *ought* to be easy except if you're actually the one doing it. The center has to a) call the blocking assignments, b) listen for the snap count, c) stick your head upside down to see the target you are snapping to and d) prepare for the bull rush of some 300-pound behemoth hoping to steamroll you on the way to your quarterback...all within a matter of seconds. Plus the play may change. Do you need to watch for the blitzing LB? Do you need to help out some weak-ass guard with a double-team because he's facing an all-pro?

Part of the problem is you can be money with the snap 99% of the time but the one time it's off, everybody notices. I'm really NOT making an excuse for Martin. He's a professional and he has to get it right every time, no excuses. But it isn't as simple as duck and snap. There's a lot that needs to be processed and reactions made in a matter of a few seconds.

BTW, I think NBA players should hit all of their free throws at the end of a game for the very same reason. They're professionals and they should get it right every time, no excuses. No defensive tackle is breathing down the shooter's neck to turn him into road kill right after the release either. It should be EASY. Hell, they practice it enough. Or at least they used to practice it back in the day. Maybe they have kneeling practice now, I haven't watched them in years.

You’re commenting on games you don’t watch?

Somehow that seems about right.

He should have been more worried about it... he completely blew it after the snap, which is how the Colts were able to jump on the ball so quickly.

RAC commented something to the effect of - one snap won't define you - and he's got a point, but that was brutal.

In the moment I was advocating for the Colts to let the Texans just score there (or on the play before) to give them more time on the clock to get into field goal range for a winning kick.

Bad snaps are always a possibility though. It's why teams will kick a game winning FG on third down, just to account for that scenario.

The upshot to this shitty season ought to be a somewhat easier schedule in 2021.

Feliz Dia de las Madres to you too.

Oye tu sae le pasamo bien chévere!

Chevere?

Chevere. Is that right mama? 'Cause I got my shakin' room...

(Intro to Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" - 1973 - which became the anthem for one of the overnight carrier services later on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsBc5p-dPU )

Now we're getting somewhere. Innervisions is a flawless record, one of like four or five he had in a row in the first half of the 70's.

Here's another song strong on the chéveres.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ2Q_mp5o5A

The chévere part starts in at about 3:00 but I strongly encourage a full listen.