Texans 20, Colts 17
In a must-win game, Texans grind out a big victory over the Colts
Nov 21, 2019, 10:27 pm
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The Texans were in a must-win situation against the Colts Thursday night and came through with a huge win. They won it 20-17. Here is how it all played out:
Offense
Positives: They were able to get some big plays in the passing game to both DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. The latter is rarely healthy enough to play, but on the few occasions he is on the field, he helps stretch the defense. It aided in Deshaun Watson throwing for 298 yards and 2 TDs on 19 of 30 passing. Fuller had a big third down catch late in the game to ice it.
Negatives: Watson had a first half pick that led to points. He also made a terrible pass on fourth and three in the third quarter that gave them no chance at converting. The running game was an absolute joke until Carlos Hyde broke free for 33 yards in the fourth quarter.
Defense
Positives: Early on, they kept the Colts at bay, not allowing any points until late in the second quarter. They came up with three straight stops in the second half that allowed them to win the game. They held Jacoby Brissett to just 129 yards passing. They had a massive stop on fourth and seven late in the fourth quarter that essentially won them the game.
Negatives: For a stretch, the Colts were able to run the ball almost at will, hit tight ends and running backs out of the backfield in the passing game and basically dominate for a time where they scored three straight times when the Texans missed tackles and looked sloppy. Fortunately they did just enough when it mattered. Still they forced zero turnovers, had just one sack and allowed the Colts 175 rushing yards and a 4.5 yards per carry average. The Colts dominated time of possession by almost seven minutes, converted 9 of 15 on third down and ran 65 plays to the Texans 55. Still, they got out with a win.
The bottom line
The Texans had to have this to have a realistic shot at winning the division. It was a tough, grind it out win, which the Texans have done a lot this year. As bad as they were on Sunday against the Ravens, this was a strong bounce back. Watson was clutch, the defense was OK enough and the Texans were able to escape with a victory. At 7-4, they lead the AFC South and with the Patriots up next they needed this one in the worst way.
Fortunately, they got it.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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