ONE LAST SETBACK

Texans wrap up season with 22-13 loss in Indianapolis, finish last in AFC South with 4-12 record

Texans wrap up season with 22-13 loss in Indianapolis, finish last in AFC South with 4-12 record
Alfred Blue and the Texans could not muster any offense in the second half. Houstontexans.com

In the battle for last place in the AFC South, the Colts won 22-13 in Indianapolis; putting the Texans in the bottom of the divisional barrel. They finish a disappointing, injury plagued season 4-12.

Congratulations are in order for Frank Gore who finished the day with one hundred yards on the ground. He became the fifth player in NFL history to rush for more than 14,000 yards in a career. 

Fans knew it was going to be rough for the Texans, who were without their biggest offensive weapon DeAndre Hopkins for the first time in his career. On the first drive, they lost their second-best receiver Will Fuller with a knee injury. That left them with Braxton Miller, Chris Thompson and Cobi Hamilton as the remaining wide receivers. The primary ball carrier for the Texans was Alfred Blue who had eighteen carries against Lamar Miller's eight. 

Early on it looked good but not great for the Texans offense. Yates led them to scoring drives on their first three possessions of the game and a 13-7 halftime lead. He did it with a good balance of run and pass. He went 12 of 16 for 117 yards through the air while Blue carried the ball fourteen times for 31 yards and a touchdown. The two field goals by Ka'imi Fairbairn from 52 and 46 yards were the difference at the break.

The second half went more the way of the Colts. It started with an onside kick that Indianapolis failed to recover, but they forced a three and out to limit any damage. They responded with a touchdown by Marlon Mack for a one point lead. Their defense followed later with a safety on Tom Savage after the Texans offensive line looked confused and allowed a free rusher.

From there it was about who could get just the few more points needed to secure the victory. The Colts got a field goal from Adam Vinatieri while the Texans got shut down. Their offense got stopped time after time and they failed to score in the second half.

No one knows what will happen in the offseason, but the coach and the GM for the Texans will be on the hot seat. They finished a season that started with some promise with a terrible record. They would have had a top-five pick in the draft but those were given to the Browns who end the season with the number one overall pick as well. There is a lot to be done but a lot to look forward to in 2018 when star players return healthy. 

 

 

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
Will Isaac Paredes stay hot against the Cardinals? Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals meet Monday night at Busch Stadium, both aiming to get above .500 in the early weeks of the season.

Houston (7-8) sends left-hander Framber Valdez (1-1, 2.50 ERA) to the mound in search of a strong start to begin a three-game road series. The Astros, 3-3 away from home this season, have leaned on their pitching—ranking eighth in the American League with a 3.70 team ERA.

St. Louis (7-8) counters with right-hander Sonny Gray (2-0, 4.50 ERA), who has a WHIP of 0.88 despite some early bumps in run prevention. The Cardinals have been solid at home (6-3) and are among the NL’s best-hitting teams, posting a collective .280 average.

Jose Altuve (.302, 3 HR) and Isaac Paredes (13-for-42, 3 HR in last 10) lead the way for Houston’s offense, while Brendan Donovan (.350, 10 RBI) and Pedro Pages (10-for-34, 7 RBI in last 10) have been producing for the Cardinals.

Both teams enter the matchup with identical 7-8 records but differing trends: Houston has outscored opponents by eight runs over their last 10 games (5-5), while the Cardinals have gone 4-6 during that stretch, giving up 5.19 runs per game.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET.

Here's a sneak peek at tonight's lineup:

Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot.

Mauricio Dubon gets the nod at second base again, and Chas McCormick will make the start over Jake Meyers in center field. Jose Altuve will get some time off his feet hitting in the DH spot, with Yordan Alvarez playing in left field.


*ChatGPT assisted.

___________________________

Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!

https://houston.sportsmap.com/advertise

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome