The streak is over, but hope is not lost
The good, bad, and ugly from the Texans loss to the Colts
Dec 9, 2018, 3:43 pm
Deshaun Watson had an up and down day. Tim Warner/Getty Images
The streak is over as the Texans lost to the Colts 24-21. Here's how I saw the end of the streak play out:
The Good
-Deshaun Watson made another play not many can make from the quarterback position. On their first touchdown drive, he scrambled around to keep a play alive and found Jordan Akins on the sideline. He escaped would-be sackers and dropped a dime to Akins where only he could catch it. Plays like this are why this guy is special.
-J.J. Watt registered his 12th sack on the year. He continued his bid for comeback player of the year. He's rounding back into his past form, but I think he needs to get his cardio up. He looks gassed at times. All in all, it's great to see him back and performing at a high level.
-Watson has shown he's willing to throw to his wide receivers often, especially DeAndre Hopkins. This game however, the tight ends held his attention. Akins, Ryan Griffin, and Jordan Thomas totaled 11 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown.
The Bad
-Andre Hal came up big with another interception this week, but it was wasted. The offense went backwards and lost nine yards in a three and out possession. Points off turnovers are critical to success.
-Not sure who blew the coverage, Justin Reid or Tyrann Mathieu, but T.Y. Hilton caught a 60-yard pass that set up the Colts' first touchdown. It looked like a cover 2 and Mathieu failed to play his portion of the deep zone. The secondary was atrocious.
-Watson was sacked in the red zone on their second touchdown drive. He's been sacked in the red zone a league leading 12 times this season. If I'm not mistaken, he's also near the top when it comes to interceptions in the red zone as well. These are the type of mistakes are things you can't do if you expect to be taken seriously as a contender.
The Ugly
-Colts tight end Eric Ebron continued the tradition of opposing tight ends killing the Texans. So did Hilton. They combined to finish with 10 catches for 201 yards and a touchdown. Hilton has been a Texans killer his whole career. Decent tight ends in general have always killed them as well.
-The defense missed sacks on Andrew Luck no less than six or seven times. I understand his pass protection has been like the Great Wall of China the last few weeks, but isn't the Texans' pass rush supposed to be elite?
-Jadeveon Clowney killed any chances of a comeback when he jumped offsides on 3rd & 1 with two minutes left in the game and the team down 24-21 with no timeouts left. What an awful way for their hot streak to end. But, Clowney gonna Clowney.
To win nine straight after losing the first three games of the season is great. But to lose this game with a chance to wrap up the division is a heartbreaker. No worries though Texans fans. There's still hope. Thank the Dolphins for beating the Patriots. But the Texans couldn't grab the two seed in the AFC because they wet the bed against the Colts. Here's to hoping the Texans win out and the Patriots drop another one.
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Miami (6-7) at Houston (8-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS
BetMGM Odds: Texans by 3.
Against the spread: Dolphins 5-8; Texans 5-6-2.
Series record: Texans lead 8-3.
Last meeting: Dolphins beat Texans 30-15, on Nov. 27, 2022, in Miami.
Last week: Dolphins beat Jets 32-26 in OT; Texans were off, beat Jaguars 23-20 on Dec. 1.
Dolphins offense: overall (19), rush (24), pass (14), scoring (23).
Dolphins defense: overall (9), rush (7), pass (11), scoring (T14).
Texans offense: overall (18), rush (16), pass (17), scoring (11).
Texans defense: overall (5), rush (10), pass (7), scoring (T12).
Turnover differential: Dolphins minus-2; Texans plus-10.
Dolphins player to watch
QB Tua Tagovailoa, who has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at throwing with anticipation and accuracy since he returned from a concussion in Week 8. Tagovailoa leads the NFL with a 73.8% completion rate and threw for 300 yards for the third straight game last week vs. the Jets. Tagovailoa is the first player in NFL history to have at least 40 pass attempts, multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions in three consecutive games within a single season.
Texans player to watch
QB C.J. Stroud has thrown for at least 225 yards in each of his six home games this season and is 11-4 in 15 starts in Houston, including the playoffs. He has thrown for 3,117 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.
Key matchup
Houston RB Joe Mixon vs. Miami’s run defense. Mixon ran for 101 yards in Houston’s previous game for his seventh 100-yard game this season. He ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game. This week he’ll face a run defense that ranks seventh in the NFL by holding teams to 105.6 yards a game.
Key injuries
Miami LT Terron Armstead is dealing with a knee injury that limited him to just five snaps last week. He did not practice Wednesday… LBs Bradley Chubb (knee) and Cameron Goode (knee) could make their season debut, depending on how this week of practice goes, coach Mike McDaniel said. … WRs Tyreek Hill (wrist) and Jaylen Waddle (hamstring), RB Raheem Mostert (hip), and LB Anthony Walker Jr. (hamstring) were among those limited in practice Wednesday. … Houston S Jalen Pitre is expected to miss a second straight game with a shoulder injury. … DE Denico Autry was limited in practice Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Series notes
Houston won the first seven meetings in this series. … Miami didn’t get its first win against the Texans until a 44-26 victory in 2015. … The Dolphins have won the past two meetings. … These teams first met in the season opener in 2003 when Houston got a 21-20 win on a late field goal.
Stats and stuff
Three of Miami’s final four games of the season are on the road. … K Jason Sanders needs 13 points Sunday to reach 800. He also needs one field goal to reach 177, which would give him the second-most field goals made in franchise history. … TE Jonnu Smith needs 100 yards receiving to reach 792 and set a franchise record for most yards receiving by a tight end in a single season. Smith had three catches for 44 yards, including the game-winning TD vs. the Jets last week after having no receptions during regulation. … Tagovailoa needs a completion rate of 70% or better on Sunday to reach eight consecutive games completing at least 70% of his passes. That would tie him with Joe Montana (1989) and Drew Brees (2017-18) for the longest streak in NFL history. … The Dolphins gave up a season-high 402 yards to the Jets last week. Aaron Rodgers burned Miami’s pass defense for 319 yards, and Miami’s secondary allowed a combined 223 yards by Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. … Houston can clinch the AFC South title for the second straight year with a win and a loss by Indianapolis Sunday. … The Texans rank second in the NFL with 84 tackles for loss. … Their 42 sacks also rank second. … WR Nico Collins had eight receptions for 119 yards for his fourth 100-yard game this season in Houston’s previous game. He has had at least 75 yards receiving and a TD reception in each of his four home games this season. … TE Dalton Schultz had five receptions for 61 yards and a score in Week 13. He has had at least five catches in two of his past three games. … LB Azeez Al-Shaai will serve the first game of a three-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head of QB Trevor Lawrence Sunday. … DE Danielle Hunter is one of two players in the NFL this season with at least 15 tackles for loss (15) and 10 sacks (10 1/2). It’s his sixth career season with at least 10 sacks. He has eight tackles for loss and five sacks combined in his past three games. … DE Will Anderson has had a sack in his past two home games. … LB Henry To’oTo’o has had at least five tackles in four straight games. … CB Derek Stingley had his third interception of the season in his previous game. … CB Kamari Lassiter had a career-high eight tackles, including a tackle for loss in Week 13. … S Jimmie Ward has had an interception in his past two home games. He also had an interception in his previous game against Miami in 2022 while with San Francisco.
Fantasy tip
Collins has 456 yards receiving and four touchdown receptions in four home games this season.