WORLD SERIES
The Astros are in the World Series, and they are the heroes Houston needs
Oct 22, 2017, 2:48 am
The hired gun, Justin Verlander, has been terrific. Elsa/Getty Images
The Astros are the sports heroes this city needs. And the heroes Houston wants.
With Saturday's Game 7 win over the Yankees, the Astros are headed to the World Series for just the second time in the history of the franchise. The Astros are 55 years old. I am 52. I have more marriages (3) than they have World Series appearances. And I did not start until I was 19.
None of that matters. The Astros beat the mighty Red Sox. The more mighty Yankees. And now they face the toughest test of all -- the even mightier Dodgers.
But in a city still recovering from Harvey, Houston needed this. Sports is the ultimate escape from reality. And the Astros are taking us on a magic carpet ride.
And they are so unique. They have an MVP who is too small to be a success. And yet he is.
They have the hired gun, Justin Verlander, who has been nothing short of amazing.
They are the bearded one, Dallas Keuchel. The superstar young shortstop, Carlos Correa. The home-run bashing George Springer.
They are talented. And they are likeable. Even with the annoying woos that Josh Reddick -- the heart and soul -- brought to the team, they are so much fun. Reddick. Carlos Beltran. Brian McCann. Despite the awful slump in New York, they came up big when they needed to do so.
And they did.
And now they are on to the World Series. The Dodgers are the best team in baseball, but bet against this group at your own risk.
The city of Houston is still recovering, and trash still sits out front of many houses. The storm displaced so many people.
The Astros were affected, too. Not just here, but in Puerto Rico. And yet they stepped up.
The next two weeks have a chance to be special. Would anyone doubt this team?
They are the sports heroes Houston wanted.
And needed.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!