COLTS 30, TEXANS 23
Colts win AFC South showdown 30-23 as Texans defense struggles early, offense fails late
Oct 20, 2019, 3:12 pm
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The Texans and the Colts played another one-score game, this one going to the Colts, as the Texans just could not put it together. They struggled on defense until the fourth quarter, when they came up big. But the offense could not get it done down the stretch.Here is how it all played out:
Offense
Positives: The Texans moved the ball well most of the game, but struggled to get touchdowns early and it bit them. Deshaun Watson had a solid game, but also threw yet another horrible interception in the fourth quarter that ended a drive that could have brought them within one score. His second pick was off a ball that should have been caught by Keke Coutee and ended the Texans chances.
But he also bounced back nicely with a touchdown drive the next time he had the ball after the first pick, something he has done a lot this season. He finished 23 of 34 for 308 yards, one touchdown and the two picks. DeAndre Hopkins had one of his better games of the season, with 106 yards receiving.
Negatives: They settled for too many field goals early and were unable to get in the end zone, although you could argue they did get robbed on one play. Will Fuller continues to prove he simply can't be trusted to stay on the field, with yet another hamstring injury. They let Watson get hit too many times (he was sacked three times). He also got sacked late in the game when they had a chance to drive down the field and take the lead.
Defense
Positives: They did limit the Colts running game, holding them to 63 yards and a 2.5 average. They hit Jacoby Brissett often, even though he was only sacked once. They did get four straight stops in the fourth quarter while trailing 28-16 and then 28-23, giving the offense a chance to get back in the game. The last stop down 30-23 gave the Texans one last shot with just under two minutes to play.
Negatives: Too many times they came up with third down stops and got stupid penalties to extend drives. With the injuries in the secondary, they just aren't good enough to stop teams if they can't get off the field on third down. They had 10 penalties for the game, the majority on defense. They sacked Jacoby Brissett just once, and allowed him to throw for a career high 326 yards and four touchdowns. The tight ends did some damage, especially after safety Tashaun Gipson went out with an injury. And, as usual, they had little answer for T.Y. Hilton. The Colts did not punt until there were 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Phillip Gaines actually played well for the Texans at corner, but suffered what looked to be a season-ending injury on the last stop of the game.
The bottom line
It's hard to beat up the defense too much considering the cluster injuries in the secondary. They just did not have the horses to slow down the Colts. (I'll show myself out).
Bill O'Brien showed some guts, going for it on fourth and short three times. They made it twice, but a busted play call on the third failed. Still, considering they could not stop the Colts at the time, it was the right call to try to keep the ball. But like going all-in in poker, it works every time until it doesn't. The defense gave them a chance in the fourth quarter, but the offense could not get one more key score.
The Colts take control of the AFC South with a 4-2 mark, while the Texans fall to 4-3. It was not a good loss for the Texans, but there is a lot of football to be played. They are going to have to make some moves to get help at corner if they are going to be a serious playoff contender moving forward. They are simply too thin at the position and the Colts took advantage.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.