Can Hilton get the Texans again and can the Colts slow down Hopkins?
Hilton, Desir's health big keys in game with Colts
Oct 18, 2019, 12:20 am
www.colts.com
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Watson learning from Verlander
#Astros Verlander on his relationship with #Texans QB Deshaun Watson: he’s a cool dude.” #TakeItBack They have dinner and dive into doing great things. pic.twitter.com/Kmx4600ef8
— Greg Bailey (@GregBailey13) October 17, 2019
Among the things in this amazing Deshaun Watson article is his relationship with Astros star pitcher Justin Verlander.
QB1 taking plenty of cues from SP1.
They eat dinner and watch film together and Watson has tried to learn from Verlander's calm.
Watson's demeanor is evident. The joy is short. The failure even shorter on his memory. He might be getting ready for the Colts but he will be watching his buddy try to close out the Yankees for sure.
Red zone resurgence
Watson. Fells. Touchdown!#ATLvsHOU pic.twitter.com/30jznEW3AM
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 6, 2019
Last year the Texans ranked 29th in the NFL with about 50 percent of their red zone looks going for touchdowns. This year the Texans are the best in football with almost 72 percent of red zone possessions going for six.
This. Is. Incredible. Huge credit to Bill O'Brien and Deshaun Watson for getting on the same page.
Not only is it better, it looks EASY sometimes. They are really in a groove.
Oh, and by the way, Colts offense is smack dab in the middle in the same stat. Their defense? 30th in the NFL. It is a GREAT matchup for the Texans this week. Just have to get into the red zone.
Hopkins stopper out of commission?
Pierre Desir interception of Watson pic.twitter.com/4MJ22xi3ow
— Ian Wharton (@NFLFilmStudy) September 30, 2018
Pierre Desir didn't practice on Thursday. His status for Sunday is up in the air with a hamstring injury.
Last year in three games with the Colts against the Texans Desir allowed six catches on 12 targets for 99 yards. He intercepted the above ball and added two pass breakups. Now, it is worth noting Hopkins was banged up in the second and third showdown. Now, it seems Desir is hurt.
If he cant go, along with fellow secondary member Kenny Moore and pass rusher Justin Houston, the Colts might be in trouble from a talent standpoint in slowing down the Texans passing attack.
Halloween Hilton is as scary as can be
Happy T.Y. Hilton week!
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 16, 2019
Career vs. Texans:
3-78-1
4-111-1
7-121-3
8-78-0
9-223-1
4-50-0
5-88-0
3-29-0
3-49-0
9-115-1
5-175-2
3-14-0
4-115-0
9-199-0
5-85-0
Eugene Marquis "T. Y." Hilton has been an absolute terror for the Texans to cover in his career. Now, lets point out a lot of this was with Andrew Luck tossing him the ball.
In 2017 Jacoby Brissett was the quarterback throwing him the ball. One of the best games, the 5-175-2 game, was with Brissett tossing him the ball.
Regardless, he's a monster. He can change the game. He has had great games with Johnathan Joseph guarding him and it would seem if Bradley Roby can't go it would be Joseph on Hilton again.
Hilton could be a big key if the Colts get the ground game going too. If Marlon Mack is forcing the defense to creep up, it will be much easier for Hilton to creep up. If the front seven can slow Mack without safety help, that leaves a little more help for Hilton.
Last stand for the right leg?
Bill O'Brien says the kicking operation needs to improve, when asked about Ka'imi Fairbairn's missed kicks. Said Fairbairn knows he has to make those and they will work on it this week. #Texans
— Deepi Sidhu (@DeepSlant) October 14, 2019
Ka'imi Fairbairn hasn't been solid this season. He needs to be better. There has been a lot of speculation new holder Bryan Anger has been part of the issue. It is worth noting a penalty wiped out a earlier Fairbairn miss in the Saints game in the first week of the season.
"That's overrated," he said. "It does help to not kick the laces, but it's not a reason to miss. If it's a long field goal, it might take a little bit of distance off. It really doesn't take accuracy off if you keep your form."
That's just one kicker but it is interesting the more you read the less the laces feel in the level of importance. Not that it isn't important, but the less and less they are important.
Just watch this
A powerful story of perseverance.@DeAndreHopkins and his mother share an unbreakable bond forged by love and survival.
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 17, 2019
(via @ESPN Cover Story) pic.twitter.com/P102Rd9MJL
Awesome. I knew some of things already but a great telling of an amazing story and where Hopkins comes from.
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The Astros are making noise again — not by bludgeoning teams with a powerhouse offense, but by grinding through games and getting elite production from a patched-together pitching staff. It’s a testament to their depth and resilience that they went 4-2 on a tough road trip while averaging just 3.6 runs per game. Even more impressive? The staff allowed just 2.3 runs per game during that stretch.
It’s fair to be impressed. This is a team still missing key pieces and leaning heavily on unproven arms, yet they’ve built a 2.5-game lead over Seattle in the AL West. If the rotation keeps performing like this, that cushion might not just hold through the All-Star break — it could grow.
Houston's pitching has been the great stabilizer. The Astros rank 1st in strikeouts, 9th in ERA, 4th in WHIP, and 2nd in batting average against. The numbers aren’t carried solely by the stars either. Youngsters like Brandon Walter and Colton Gordon have stepped in admirably. Walter has allowed just two runs combined across his first two starts (6 IP and 5 IP), while Gordon has quietly gone five innings in three straight outings, giving up 1, 4, and 3 runs. Ryan Gusto has been inconsistent — failing to get through five innings in his last three starts — but has kept the damage manageable (3, 2, and 2 runs in those outings).
Meanwhile, the top of the rotation has been lights out. Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown have become one of the most dominant 1-2 punches in baseball, and Lance McCullers Jr. is starting to look like a real contributor again. It’s a staff carrying the team while the bats slowly try to catch up.
That offense, while mediocre overall — 15th in OPS, 20th in runs, 19th in homers, and 18th in slugging — has shown signs of life in recent days. Jeremy Peña and Jake Meyers have provided much-needed sparks. Peña is hitting .370 over the past week with an .851 OPS, while Meyers has been even hotter, posting a .381 average and .934 OPS.
The biggest news off the field this week was the potential end of the Forrest Whitley era. The former first-round pick was designated for assignment, a move that answers an early-season question: Who’s more likely to contribute this year — Whitley or McCullers? The answer is now clear.
Whitley’s DFA also serves as a reminder that not even elite GMs like Jeff Luhnow are immune to draft misses.
The Astros' last four first-round picks of the Jeff Luhnow era show how much of a crapshoot drafting can be.
2016: Forrest Whitley
2017: J.B. Bukauskus
2018: Seth Beer
2019: Korey Lee
Bukauskus and Beer did help land Zack Greinke, which certainly can be justified.
— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) June 8, 2025
As the Houston Chronicle's Greg Rajan points out, Luhnow’s final four first-round picks with Houston all fell short: Whitley (2016), J.B. Bukauskas (2017), Seth Beer (2018), and Korey Lee (2019) have yet to become meaningful pieces for any club. The draft remains a gamble — even for the best.
Still, the Astros are finding answers. Despite an offense that’s still searching for consistency, their pitching — both from the top and the bottom of the depth chart — has been dominant. If that continues, this club won't just hold the lead. They’ll have momentum heading into July.
There's so much more to cover! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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