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.
As we barrel toward Opening Day which is now less than four weeks away, so far it’s been largely a case of no news is good news at Astros’ spring training. Meaning no major injuries to key players, no controversies brewing. There are numerous question marks that can’t truly be answered until we get into the games that count, such as how will Jose Altuve fare as a left fielder. The most exciting thing to happen over the first week of Grapefruit League games would probably be the two-home run game from top prospect Cam Smith, he of the Kyle Tucker trade. Both came off minor league caliber pitchers, but so what. Smith turned 22 years old last Saturday, the ideal is that he forces his way to the big leagues by the end of this season.
A strong majority of players who go on to greatness in Major League Baseball get to the big leagues before they turn 23. I spoke to this with Astros-specific perspective this week during an episode of our Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. The ten greatest offensive players in franchise history as measured by Baseball Reference’s Wins Above Replacement metric are: Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Jose Altuve, Lance Berkman, Cesar Cedeno, Jimmy Wynn, Jose Cruz, Alex Bregman, Joe Morgan, and Bob Watson. Eight of those ten debuted in the majors at 22 years old or younger. Cedeno was 19! Morgan and Watson were 20. Wynn and Altuve were 21. Biggio, Bagwell, and Bregman were 22. That leaves Cruz and Berkman as the exceptions. “Cheo” debuted with the Cardinals and didn’t get to the Astros’ organization until he was 27. Berkman arrived at 23. He should have been up sooner but was backlogged in 1998 behind a fabulous outfield of Moises Alou, Carl Everett, and Derek Bell, with youngster Richard Hidalgo as the top reserve, while first base was manned by Bagwell in the heart of his prime.
The point is, special talents should be fast-tracked and/or fast-track themselves to the Major Leagues. There are numerous exceptions (team mistakes, late bloomers), but a very high percentage of eventual big stars get to The Show at a young age. Juan Soto, Bryce Harper, and Mike Trout entered at 19. Ronald Acuna Jr., Vlad Guerrero Jr., Freddie Freeman, and Jose Ramirez did so at 20. Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, Mookie Betts, and Yordan Alvarez were 21. Not all tear it up immediately the way Yordan did upon his promotion in 2019, but rare tools and talents merit accelerated opportunity. The focus here is on hitters, but this isn’t a bad spot to note that among the four greatest pitchers ever to hurl for the Astros, only Randy Johnson was older than 22 when he started (25 as a notoriously raw and wild Montreal Expo). Nolan Ryan was a 19-year-old New York Met, Roger Clemens a 21-year-old Boston Red Sox, and Justin Verlander a 22-year-old Detroit Tiger.
This is not predicting mega-stardom or a plaque in Cooperstown for Cam Smith, but if the Astros have such a player in what is presently a lousy farm system overall, the odds overwhelmingly favor Smith being that guy. He should be ticketed for double-A Corpus Christi to start this season after having had just 96 at bats in single-A and 19 at AA in the Cubs’ system after being drafted last July. Should Smith excel with the Hooks, it’s not preposterous to see him getting to the Astros over the summer, especially given the shaky state of the big club’s outfield going into the 2025 campaign. Plenty of players have skipped over AAA. While Smith was drafted as a third baseman, unless the Astros grow offensively desperate enough to move Isaac Paredes to second base, Smith’s fastest path to Daikin Park right now might lead to right field. Coming off a relentlessly bad 2024, it’s make-or-break time for Chas McCormick. Chas is making three-point-four million dollars this season and turns 30 in April. If he is not a heckuva lot better this year, there is no way the Astros are bringing him back at an even bigger salary number in 2026.
Jacob Melton is another outfield prospect, but he’s already 24 years old and has yet to show any sort of elite hitting traits in the minors. Melton looms as a cheaper replacement for Jake Meyers in center.
Those who will ultimately be great only have time siphoned from their careers when not brought up as soon as reasonable. Of course there is risk of unfulfilled potential or straight up bust status. If early failure crushes a player, he wasn’t headed for greatness anyway.
On the upswing
Closing aside: a pinging endorsement for the Astros’ Annual College Classic Friday through Sunday. The reigning national champion Tennessee Volunteers and runner-up Texas A&M Aggies head the field. Rice, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, and Arizona fill out what is always an excellent six-team event. With gorgeous weather forecast through the weekend the roof should be open throughout. RIGHT?
The countdown to Opening Day is on. Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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