Texans embarassed and eliminated at home by division rival
The good, bad and ugly of the Texans playoff loss to the Colts
Jan 5, 2019, 6:54 pm
Texans embarassed and eliminated at home by division rival
The Colts dismantled the Texans 21-7 in one of the AFC Wildcard games. The score wasn't indicative of how bad it really was. Here's how I saw it:
The Good
-Keke Coutee was back playing and looked healthy as he was Deshaun Watson's favorite target. Coutee finished with 11 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.
-J.J. Watt swatted a pass at the line of scrimmage when the Colts were in the red zone. However, Brandon Dunn made a pretty athletic interception for a man north of 300 pounds.
-They went 11-5 and won the AFC South (Bill O'Brien voice).
The Bad
-Vyncint Smith lost track of a deep ball in the first quarter. It would've been about a 40-50 plus yard completion. He couldn't track the ball, turned his body a couple times, ultimately dropping the ball. It was the second shot play Watson couldn't connect with a receiver as he also underthrew DeAndre Hopkins on another.
-Watson led the team in rushing for the fifth game in a row. His 76 yards rushing accounted for 72.3 percent of the team's rushing total. If this doesn't spell the need for new life on the offensive line and running back, I don't know what else will.
-Texans defense allowed a 100 yard rusher for the first time all season. Marlon Mack ended the game with 148 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. They gave up a total of 200 yards rushing to the Colts.
The Ugly
-The pace at which this team plays, especially when behind, PISSES ME OFF! The play clock allows for 40 seconds to get a play called and the ball snapped. Too often it takes the Texans 25-30 seconds, or more, to get that done. It took six minutes and 13 seconds while down 21 to get their first touchdown!
-Jadeveon Clowney left the game with a concussion in the second quarter, but was able to come back in the game. However, rookie safety Justin Reid left the game with a rib injury and didn't return. He lowered the shoulder to separate Eric Ebron from a touchdown catch and wound up hurt.
-This team looked ill-equipped to handle what the Colts were throwing at them. The offense couldn't get into a rhythm, and the defense was taken apart way too easily. Deer staring in headlights are able to make better adjustments than the Texans did against the Colts.
I put this loss squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff. Neither side of the ball looked ready, nor did they make any necessary adjustments. They were thoroughly out-coached. This loss is a sign that better coaching is needed, on both sides of the ball. I recommended Adam Gase as a potential offensive coordinator, but he may be up for a head coaching gig. Romeo Crennell needs some youthful infusion into his play calling as well. This team needs more talent, as well as better depth. The offseason is now here. Time to look at potential free agents and draftees that can help this team. While this loss hurts, I pray it serves as a wake-up call for the organization and moving forward they can put together a better staff, along with a better team.The Houston Astros announced on Monday that additional imaging has revealed that Jeremy Peña is dealing with a small fracture in one of his ribs.
Peña left Friday's game after being hit by a pitch in the ribs. The club originally believed they had avoided any fractures or breaks, but new information has informed them otherwise.
Update on Jeremy Peña: pic.twitter.com/jfCsCUKWFx
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 30, 2025
Peña is heading to the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 28. This news comes at an unfortunate time, with Jeremy posting the best regular season numbers of his career. He's currently slashing .322, .378, .489 with an .867 OPS.
Peña will miss the Rockies and Dodgers series at a minimum.
Story on Peña headed to the IL with quotes from Dana Brown.
“This isn’t one of those things where you have to be sidelined the whole time. Once the inflammation goes down, he might feel good enough to swing a bat.” https://t.co/ih2G09Jpcf
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) June 30, 2025
Let's hope the team doesn't rush him back too soon and create an even bigger problem. These quotes above from Dana Brown have me concerned. Playing through injuries can create bad habits, and Jeremy has clearly found his swing this season.