Sunday Night Football Preview
Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts
NRG Stadium
Houston, Texas
8:30 p.m. EST
The nation will be watching this Sunday, as the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts both look to right the ship. Without J.J. Watt for the remainder of the season, the rest of the Texans defense will have to step up. Look for Jadeveon Clowney, the number-one pick from the 2014 NFL Draft, to fill the hole left by Watt. Through five weeks, Clowney leads the league in tackles for a loss and consistently ruins running plays for the opposing team. If Clowney can continue his dominance in the backfield, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will have a hard time Sunday night.
The Texans have always been a running team, but they have struggled mightily through their first five contests. In fact, they’ve been historically bad. Lamar Miller was brought in to take their running game to the next level, but he had more touches through four games without a touchdown than anybody in modern NFL history. This must change, and soon. The Colts defense is currently 18th in the league for rushing yards allowed per game, so there’s no better time than now.
The Texans aren’t the only team in the AFC South who’ve gotten off to a rough start. The Indianapolis Colts were favorites to win the division, but they currently have a 2-3 record. The Colts have struggled on offense, and definitely miss the presence of wide receiver Donte Moncrief. They’re 22nd in rushing yards per game and first in sacks allowed. Andrew Luck is a great quarterback, but he can’t carry this team on his own.
Both teams have failed to live up to expectations thus far, but expect a good game for Sunday Night Football. The key for both teams will be getting their respective running backs going and taking pressure off their quarterbacks. From the outside, it looks like a disappointing match-up. However, divisional games are typically unpredictable and hard-fought. Whoever wins Sunday will be one step closer to winning the AFC South.
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