Indianapolis Colts can control their own destiny with win against Texans

The Indianapolis Colts have a huge game against the Houston Texans in Week 12. If they can get the win, they are in the driver’s seat for the AFC South crown.

Week 12 is going to be a pivotal week for the Indianapolis Colts and their hopes of winning the AFC South. The team is currently 6-4 and sitting atop the division. Coming off an impressive win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indy will be facing another division rival in primetime on Thursday night.

They will be traveling to NRG Stadium to take on Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans. Houston is also 6-4 and looking to rebound after their abysmal performance against the Baltimore Ravens.

This Thursday night matchup is going to have a huge effect on who will be crowned the AFC South champs. Even though all the teams in that division are within two games of each other, Indy and Houston are the two teams who are likely going to win the division.

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What that means is that this Week 12 contest could end up being a winner take all situation for the division. The Colts should come into the game with that mindset and be ready for a physical, gritty and tough game.

The Colts can put themselves in a great spot coming down the home stretch of the season if they can get the win. Winning this game against Houston will allow them to control their own destiny for the rest of the way. This is important for them, as they will have to deal with some tough teams during the month of December to finish off their season.

Indy is first in the AFC South due to their head to head tiebreaker against the Texans. They beat Houston in Week 6, 30-23, thanks to a sensational performance from Jacoby Brissett and their defense.

The Colts’ defense was able to intercept Watson twice in that game, one of those picks coming on what was a potential game-tying drive for Houston. They also managed to pressure Watson all game which resulted in three sacks. The Colts should plan to bring the pressure again, especially after the Texans gave up six sacks to the Ravens last week.

Offensively, Indy is dealing with injuries at the receiver position but they hope to get one of their biggest weapons back to help out Brissett. T.Y. Hilton is going to be a game-time decision for Thursday’s game. If he can play, it will be a blessing for him and the Colts.

Hilton has owned the Texans over his career and, with Houston ranking 29th in pass yards allowed per game, his presence on the field will surely help pick apart the Texans secondary. If Hilton can’t play, however, their run game should be able to carry the load.

The Colts’ run game was able to get going in a big way against Jacksonville last week, as they had two players rush for over 100 yards (Marlon Mack and Jonathan Williams) for the first time in over 30 years. Even though Mack won’t be available, Indy should still be able to run the ball effectively.

Houston is a middle of the pack team in terms of run defense (13th) and J.J. Watt won’t be on the field this time around for Indy. With the receiving corps depleted and Hilton’s status uncertain, Indianapolis should look to establish the run and wear down that Texans defense.

If the Indianapolis Colts win this game, they would sweep the season series against Houston and improve their division record to 4-0. Houston’s divisional record will drop to 2-2, which furthers the gap between them and Indy in the race for the division crown.

They would need Indy to end the season with a worse record than them to win the division. That would require Indy to have an epic collapse to end the year. It is unlikely that will happen but they do have some tough matchups remaining on their schedule.

The Colts will play three NFC South teams in the season’s final weeks, going up against the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. All three of these teams have playmakers on offense and defense, so Indy can’t afford to overlook them.

They also face the Tennessee Titans and Jaguars one more time, although they should be able to win those games. Indy has beaten the Titans 19 out of the last 21 times they faced each other and the Colts just beat Jacksonville (with Nick Foles) pretty handily last week.

Meanwhile, the Texans have to face the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Buccaneers and Titans (twice). All of those games are winnable but, with the inconsistent play this team has shown during the season, who knows. If they lose to Indianapolis, they will be forced to win out and hope the Colts stumble multiple times in order to win the AFC South.

The Colts have the opportunity to extend their division lead against the Texans in Week 12. If they come into Houston and beat them, that puts them in control of their fate and in the driver’s seat to win the division.

Indy’s chances of winning the division would drop significantly if they lose, which would make them fight for a Wild Card spot in the AFC that is getting more competitive as the weeks go by. The Colts need to come into this game like it’s do-or-die because, in a way, it is.

The AFC South could be wrapped up this week if Indy comes in and handle their business against the Texans. The battle for the division crown is taking place in NRG Stadium and both teams realize that in the back of their minds. With the lights on and the world watching, it is time for the Colts to step up and put a stranglehold on their division.