2nd Half Reset

[HPF Bob]

Believe it or not, the 5-3 Texans would be the sixth seed in the playoffs if they started today. Here's how the AFC looks after eight weeks:

New England 8-0
Baltimore 5-2
Indianapolis 5-2
Kansas City 5-3
Buffalo 5-2
Houston 5-3
============
Jacksonville 4-4
Tennessee 4-4
Pittsburgh 3-4
Oakland 3-4
L.A. Chargers 3-5

Offensively, the offensive line appears to be regressing. The false starts are especially a problem. Watson is spending too much of his time running for his life or spinning out of trouble. Hyde and Johnson have been a decent 1-2 punch and Watson has found a new weapon in Darren Fells to join DeAndre Hopkins.

Defensively, the loss of Watt hurts and the secondary is in shambles but they've been able to hold up decently up until now. The only game they really looked bad was against Carolina.

On special teams, I wish we had a better PK than Fairbairn but he's league average. I don't think we've had a real threat on kick returns since Andre' Davis (2007-09).

The second half schedule shows:

vs JAX (@ London)
BYE
@ BAL
vs IND
vs NE
vs DEN
@ TEN
@ TAM
vs TEN

That looks like a 4-4 finish or maybe 5-3. That's right on the border of making the playoffs but there are so many teams that are virtually out, one has to look at the rest of the AFC and realize we could be 9-7 and get the last spot by default.

Having tiebreakers with Oakland and the Chargers might be keys. We're also 4-1 in conference record, tied for second in the AFC with Buffalo behind you-know-who. After head-to-head, conference record is the second tiebreaker except with division foes.

My point is that we need not obsess over beating Indy. If they win the division, we can still make the playoffs unlike many previous AFC South seasons. If they can keep Watson healthy and heal up at key spots, their chances at returning to the playoffs (and likely getting embarrassed) seem better than 50-50 insuring O'Brien keeps his job another year.