Colts, Texans Move Forward Amid Challenges

After a quiet Week 8 for the AFC South, three teams will be on the field this week and will look toward the second half of the season for improved play.

The Indianapolis Colts (5-2) will take on the Houston Texans (2-5) on Sunday night. Both teams will be playing under key player challenges as the Colts look to move on for the season without future Hall of Famer and All-Pro wide receiver Reggie Wayne while the Texans are still trying to figure out their quarterback needs; Case Keenum will again get the start over former veteran starter Matt Schaub.

Also at play for the Texans is their five-game losing streak. Should a sixth loss come their way on Sunday, it was be the first time since the 2005 season from the period of Nov. 6-Dec. 11, according to STATSLLC.

Reggie Wayne

For the Colts, Wayne’s absence will force the team to play without the veteran for a first time since the 2001 season. It will look to receivers Darrius Heyward-Bey and T.Y. Hilton to elevate their games as well as tight end Coby Fleener. However, Heyward-Bey is battling a hamstring problem and did not practice on Friday. He is a game-time decision.

In the Colt’s most recent game, its 39-33 win over the Denver Broncos, Heyward-Bey and Fleener grabbed two of quarterback Andrew Luck’s three touchdown passes.

On Sunday, Luck could find himself challenged by the Texans’ defense. While it is ranked at No. 27 for scoring defense (27.7 points per game), the Texans do sit at the top of the NFL for total defense, giving up 267.7 average yards including 145.6 in passing.

In the team’s two meetings last year, Luck had been sacked a total of six times with three by Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. Luck said this week of the AP Defensive Player of the Year winner for 2012, Watt, via KHOU.com, “He’s got the physical attributes and the strength and speed. His motor runs all the time. He’s chasing guys down 30 yards away. He’s making plays everywhere.”

Meanwhile, the Texans will face their own set of challenges. For the second consecutive game, Keenum will be the signal caller and in his NFL debut two weeks ago against the Kansas City Chiefs (8-0), he went 15 of 25 passes, 271 yards and one touchdown. This may have been good enough as the young player is starting over a healthy Schaub after his 78.8 passer rating, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions (four pick-6s) to-date.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak said of Keenum’s second start, “I’ve got to make decisions I think are best for the football team right now. The decision I made was based on what I saw take place last week with Case and him taking advantage of an opportunity. I want to see him move forward.”

Case Keenum

Keenum may face some challenges with his running game as top back Arian Foster did participate in Friday’s practice but he has a hamstring injury; he has been listed as questionable and should he miss Sunday’s game it will be a first for the player since December 2011.

This would be disappointing for the Texans as the Colts rank at No. 29 versus the run, giving up a 122.3 yard average.

Backup running back Ben Tate has been battling a rib injury but is expected to play on Sunday.

For these two teams a lot has changed in the last year as the Texans beat out the Colts by a single game for the division title. Expectations were high for 2013 that these two teams would battle it out again but a different story has emerged.

In their last meeting during 2012’s Week 15, the Texans won 29-17. For this matchup, the Colts get a tight win (-1.5, 43.5 o/u).

For other AFC South news, the second place Tennessee Titans (3-4) will play the St. Louis Rams (3-5) on Sunday and will get their fourth win (-2.5, 40 o/u).