Texans 20 , Colts 17

Texans vs. Colts: Good, bad and ugly

Texans vs. Colts: Good, bad and ugly
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DeAndre Hopkins

In a Thursday Night Football battle, the Texans edged out the Colts in 20-17 hard fought victory. Here's how I saw things play out:

The Good

-DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller re-established themselves as one of the best wide receiver duos in the league this game. 13 catches on 19 targets for a combined 234 yards and two touchdowns (both by Hopkins). Whenever Deshaun Watson has Hopkins on the short to intermediate stuff and Fuller stretching the field, it gives him more options in the pass game.

-Deshaun Watson completed 63.3% of his passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns. While he did throw an inexplicable interception and took a sack, he still did enough to guide his team to a win. This kid is going to be a star and eventually lead his team to great things one day.

-The defense came up big against a division rival. Zach Cunningham and Benardrick McKinney combined for 27 tackles, 19 of those were solo tackles. This wasn't an easy game. It was a grinder, and the defense deserves some love for their contribution.

The Bad

-Watson's interception in the 2nd quarter hurt their momentum. The Colts had just punted the ball to the Texans. With a 3-0 lead, they could've taken a two score lead with a touchdown drive. Instead, pressure up the middle tipped the pass and Colts corner Kenny Moore made a great play to pick it off. Sometimes good defense beats good offense.

-Back to back Colt possessions swung momentum back in their favor. At the end of the 1st half, the Texans gave up a field goal to tie the game at 10. To start the 2nd half, the Texans failed on a 4th&3 conversion. The Colts went on an 11 play drive (10 runs, one pass) and scored after Benardrick McKinney failed to make the tackle when he met Jonathan Williams in the gap.

-The Colts ran the ball 39 times for 175 yards at a 4.5 yard per carry clip. Losing the rushing yardage differential by -76, turnover game by -1, and time of possession by almost seven minutes is normally a recipe for a loss. These metrics need to be cleaned up moving forward, or else this team will be out early in the playoffs.

The Ugly

-The Colts convderted 9/15 of their 3rd down conversions. Giving up 60% on 3rd down conversions isn't what good football teams do. If the Texans expect to advance in the AFC playoff picture, they have some work to do as far as 3rd down conversion percentage.

-Dylan Cole went down with a calf injury in the 2nd quarter. He's not only one of their more athletic linebackers, he's alos the leading special teams tackler. Hopefully he's okay as this team, particularly the defense, has suffered enough injuries.

-After the field goal early in the 2nd quarter, I heard them playing "Football Time In Houston" by Clay Walker. Will they PLEASE get rid of that damn song?!? I'm sure there's a rap song they can use that's better. Hell, get a local band to do a rock song. Anything but that tired ass song!

Now that the Texans have won this game and firm control of the AFC South, they have about a 75% chance at making the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Colts have only about a 20% chance to make it. The Texans have five games left: Patriots, Broncos, @Titans, @Bucs, and Titans. None of those teams pose a serious threat outside the Pats. Winning all these games would give them a 12-4 record and a shot at a first round bye depending on what happens with other teams. Winning this game puts them in the driver's seat in the AFC South, and helps them in the race for a first round bye. They'll need some out side help to get first round bye in the playoffs, but health is a major component moving forward. Especially on the defensive side of the ball. With the Pats coming into town next Sunday night, the Texans have a chance to make some noise in the AFC. Next week will be the new biggest game of the Bill O'Brien era.

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The Astros beat the Diamondbacks, 4-3. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

Christian Walker singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth inning and the Houston Astros beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.

 

Zack Short and Taylor Trammell started the ninth with bunt singles against Kevin Ginkel (1-4). One out later, Walker, a former Diamondback, hit a grounder up the middle to score Short.

Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 27th save and the Astros, who have won four in a row took a six-game lead in the AL West.

Arizona trailed 3-1 entering the eighth, but Geraldo Perdomo led off with a double off reliever Bennett Sousa (4-0). Ketel Marte singled to drive in Perdomo, Corbin Carroll doubled to right sending Marte to third. Marte scored the tying run on Josh Naylor’s single.

Brandon Walter had held the Diamondbacks to one run and four hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out five, throwing just 82 pitches.

 

Marte hit Walter’s first pitch of the game for a home run, his 20th of the season.

The Astros scored twice in the sixth. Walker led off with a double off Brandon Pfaadt, then advanced to third when Yainer Diaz also doubled. But Walker scored when shortstop Perdomo booted Brice Matthews’ grounder for an error. Diaz scored the go-ahead run on reliever Andrew Saalfrank’s wild pitch.

Houston made it 3-1 when Diaz doubled off Trevor Richards leading off the eighth and scored on Mauricio Dubón’s single.

Perdomo went 4 for 4.

Postgame reaction

Walker joined Space City Home Network after the game and discussed sweeping his former team and much more!

 

Key moment

Sousa got Arizona’s Randal Grichuk to hit into a double play with the bases loaded to end the eighth.

Key stat

Walter has only walked four batters in 53 2/3 innings this season.

Next

Arizona is off Thursday before beginning a nine-game trip Friday in Pittsburgh. Houston returns home to play the Athletics; the Astros have not announced a Thursday starter.

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