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In the battle for the early AFC South lead, the Texans lose a close one to the Colts 30-23. Here are my observations:
The Good
-Deshaun Watson had a good game, minus one play here or there. 23/34 for 308 yards and a touchdown to go along with 32 yards rushing on three carries. The three sacks he took weren't really his fault either. One bad decision turned the ball over, but he kept them to a minimum as well.
-DeAndre Hopkins and Kenny Stills both helped Watson's stat line. The duo combined for 13 catches for 211 yards and a touchdown. Moving forward, if the receiving corps stays healthy, I can see this stat line becoming more of a norm. Awesome to see Hopkins have a capable No. 2 on the other side.
-Phillip Gaines had a decent game. For a guy who was injured and has never found a home, he's seemed to have found one in the Texans secondary room which has doubled as an infirmary. He's always had good size and athleticism, but never stayed healthy. (I wrote this earlier in the 2nd half, and he got carted off with 1:46 left in the game. I jinxed him.)
The Bad
-Midway through the 1st quarter, Jonathan Joseph tipped a sideline pass to Chester Rogers. Rogers ended up catching it off the tip and managed to stay in bounds. JJo made a decent play on a ball, but to no avail. That drive eventually led to the Colts' first score and capped a 12 play, 94 yard drive.
-After settling for another field goal instead of a touchdown before halftime, the Texans came out to start the second half by giving up another touchdown drive. This is how they always end up losing games by not stopping opponents and trading field goals for touchdowns.
-With 9:31 left in the game down 28-16, Deshaun Watson threw an interception on a pass intended for Duke Johnson. Johnson was open, but Watson sailed it over his head and into the arms of Pierre Desir. It was a poor decision in an otherwise good game Watson played.
The Ugly
-Tashaun Gipson left the game with a back injury early on and never returned. Will Fuller was also ruled out with a hamstring injury. Jonathan Joseph banged up his shoulder. At this point, I think I'm going to get in shape again. They may need me to play a few snaps. Expect open tryouts on Kirby soon.
-Awful call by the refs cost the Texans a touchdown on their second field goal. Watson was in the grasp of Justin Houston, but managed to keep himself upright long enough to complete what was though to be a touchdown pass to Hopkins. However, the refs blew the play dead saying he was sacked. Protecting the quarterbacks at all costs cost the Texans here.
-Situational football and clock management are like an incurable disease for Bill O'Brien. Down 28-23 in the 4th quarter with about 3:23 left, O'Brien waited until about 2:44 left to call a timeout and call in a safety and free kick. Good idea, poor execution. Know the situation and call for that safety immediately. Or, call the timeout ASAP without letting so much time run off. Will someone get this man a Coaching For Dummies book please?
After Starting 0-13 in Indy, the Texans won three of the next four. Today's loss shouldn't start a new streak. While Watson ended the game with two interceptions, one is for sure his fault, while the other was a great play made on a tipped/dropped ball. While they didn't run the ball well as a team (24 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown), they held the Colts to 62 yards rushing. Perhaps because Jacoby Brissett torched them for 326 yards and four touchdowns passing. I understand they'll need any warm bodies to play defensive back for them in the next few weeks, but what about a pass rush to help those guys? Oh, I forgot, they traded Jadeveon Clowney for a pack of cigarettes and a gas station tuna fish sandwich. They could've traded him long time ago for better draft picks, but didn't listen to me. Such is life. Hopefully this team will have the "next man up" mentality and guys will step up. If not, it could be a long rest of the season.
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The Astros got a little revenge on the Red Sox this week, taking the series after Boston swept them at the start of August. Hunter Brown delivered exactly what Houston needed — a dominant start that saw him hold Boston to one run over 6.2 innings. Yainer Díaz stayed hot, launching a two-run homer that gave the pitching staff some breathing room and tilted the game in Houston’s favor. Even with Carlos Correa getting the day off on Wednesday, the Astros still secured the series win, and he’ll get the benefit of Thursday’s off day as well.
The series also gave us our first look at Houston’s bullpen without Josh Hader, who’s on the shelf with a shoulder strain. Bennett Sousa stepped up, keeping the lead intact so Bryan Abreu could slam the door in the ninth. Espada hasn’t officially called Abreu the closer, which signals the Astros may be going matchup-first with Hader out. That said, the bullpen as a whole took a hit in the series, allowing 11 runs — nine of them from regular bullpen arms in Game 2. Even Hector Neris, who was just released, might be looking at the box scores, thinking he wasn't that bad.
Health remains the other big piece to the Astros’ postseason picture. Spencer Arrighetti and Cristian Javier are both back in the rotation, with Javier impressing in his first start back from Tommy John. Luis Garcia is close behind, showing more velocity in his rehab outings for Sugar Land. It appears he's close to returning.
Luis Garcia, who maxed out at 92.5 mph in his Aug. 7 rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land, has touched 94.7 mph tonight.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 14, 2025
Jake Meyers is working his way back from a calf injury in Florida, but the big question is Yordan Alvarez. He’s set to take live BP soon, and this time the hope is that he avoids any discomfort that might set him back again.
Now comes the chance to create some breathing room in the AL West. The schedule ahead — Orioles, Tigers, Orioles again, Rockies, Angels — offers only one truly tough matchup in that stretch. On paper, it’s an ideal runway to put some distance between themselves and the Mariners. Sure, the A’s sweep earlier this season proves nothing is automatic, but this is a different Astros team than the one that stumbled back then. Since being swept by Boston, they’ve reeled off three straight series wins over the Marlins, Yankees, and Red Sox. Correa’s return hasn’t just been a nostalgia play — he’s producing at an elite level, taking pressure off guys like Christian Walker and Yainer Díaz, and setting a tone that’s carried through the lineup. If the chemistry keeps building, this soft stretch could be the spark that shapes their September push.
There's so much more to get to! 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 on Thursday!
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