{"id":55837,"date":"2019-01-03T16:52:29","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T21:52:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=55837"},"modified":"2019-01-03T16:52:29","modified_gmt":"2019-01-03T21:52:29","slug":"indianapolis-colts-houston-texans-underrated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/01\/03\/indianapolis-colts-houston-texans-underrated\/","title":{"rendered":"Indianapolis Colts-Houston Texans: The Underrated Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"

This year’s edition of the NFL playoffs begins with an inter-divisional matchup between the Indianapolis Colts<\/a> and Houston Texans<\/a>. The looming clash is a battle between two teams who started off slow before turning things around in emphatic fashion.<\/p>\n

For the Colts, they became the final team to qualify for the tournament when they upended the Tennessee Titans<\/a> 33-17. It was the culmination of a furious run to close out the season in which they won nine of their last 10 games. In so doing, they became just the third team in NFL history to make the playoffs after starting a season 1-5.<\/p>\n

But the Texans deserve a lot of credit themselves for getting things back on track. After all, they began their 2018 campaign with three consecutive losses. Statistically, that’s a bit of a death sentence with regard to a team’s playoff hopes. Since the merger, only 2.3 percent of teams who began the year 0-3 ended up qualifying for the postseason.<\/p>\n

Not only did the Texans qualify. They became just the second team to both win their division and finish with an 11-5 regular season record after an 0-3 start. The only other team to accomplish that feat in the Super Bowl era was the 1992 San Diego Chargers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Indianapolis Colts-Houston Texans: A Clash of Two Underappreciated Teams<\/strong><\/h1>\n

It all underscores the fact that whoever wins on Saturday is going to be a tough out the rest of the way. Should the Colts emerge victoriously, their next task will be to somehow slow down MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes<\/a><\/strong> and the Kansas City Chiefs<\/a>. If the Texans win, a date with arguably the greatest ever coach-quarterback partnership in Bill Belichick<\/strong> and Tom Brady<\/a><\/strong> awaits.<\/p>\n

Both of those teams pose unique challenges in their own right. And there’s no doubting that both they and others such as the New Orleans Saints<\/a> and Los Angeles Rams<\/a> out of the NFC are heavy favorites to make it to Super Bowl LIII. Still, count out Indy and Houston at your own peril.<\/p>\n

The Watson-Hopkins Connection: Not as Heralded as It Should Be<\/h2>\n

Both squads boast players who are among the most underappreciated in the league. Like Mahomes, Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson<\/a><\/strong> is in his second NFL season. And though his numbers aren’t as stratospheric as Mahomes, he’s still establishing himself as one of the NFL’s top young signal callers. He was one of just five NFL quarterbacks with a minimum of 500 attempts to finish with a passer rating above 100 this year. This despite an extremely leaky offensive line which led to him getting sacked a league-worst 62 times.<\/p>\n

His top target in the passing game, DeAndre Hopkins<\/a><\/strong>, is perhaps garnering some newfound appreciation. This is in the wake of recent developments out of Pittsburgh that’s seen Antonio Brown<\/a><\/strong>, talented as he may be, devolve into a bit of a diva act<\/a>. That’s a significant contrast to Hopkins who just quietly goes out and gets the job done. This stat cited by NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano<\/strong> on Twitter says it all.<\/p>\n

\n

Ignore all other 2018 numbers.<\/p>\n

THIS is the @NFL<\/a> stat of the year:@DeAndreHopkins<\/a>:
115 receptions
0 dropped passes<\/p>\n

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) December 31, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n