The Houston Texans were able to close out a big divisional win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13 for what comes out to be their fourth win in a row, and elevates them two games over .500 thanks to a strong, well-rounded effort in all three phases of the game.

The Texans especially showed once again that they’ve turned a page with their late-game execution, piecing together another one-score victory that’s shifted the tune from how they started off this season with their inability to finish and close out when they needed to most.

But thanks to a stout defensive effort on the Colts’ final offensive drive, and C.J. Stroud returning to the lineup to put points on the board in every quarter for Houston, it was just enough to squeeze out a win number seven on the year.

For Stroud, the win sends a simple message: after a few times of coming up short, this team has learned to win and has all the talent on all sides of the football to keep the momentum flowing.

“You cut yourself a couple of times, you start to heal, and you start to learn how to not cut yourself anymore,” Stroud said of the Texans’ late-game situations postgame, via an interview with CBS Sports‘ Evan Washburn.

“I thought we did a great job, all glory goes to God, and I’m just grateful for this team, for or offense, defense and special teams playing together. So, man, it’s a big time win for us. We’re going to keep it rolling.”

C.J. Stroud Loves What He Saw From Texans in Win vs. Colts

Stroud himself had a nice day in his first game back from a three-week absence due to concussion protocol, throwing for over 270 yards on the day, completing over 65% of his passes, and keeping the Texans’ offense afloat throughout.

Along with a powerful defensive week once again, limiting the Colts to their lowest scoring outing on the season thus far, the Texans were really able to take control of Indianapolis on both sides of the ball, and for Stroud, sends a major message to the rest of the league: this Houston roster is a dangerous one.

“Man, we’re super dangerous,” Stroud continued postgame “We’ve lost some close games against some really good teams. If we find a way to win some close games going past Thanksgiving we’’ll be able to put ourselves in position to do whatever we want. It’s a great Colts team, we’re going to see them again.”

“It’s a grind every week, and it’s hard to win in the league, but if you can get it done, man, it’s a blessing.”

Time will tell if the Texans and Stroud can keep that hot hand rolling into next week against the Kansas City Chiefs. But right now, this team has presented itself as a group that no team wants to face down the stretch, their signal-caller is finding his groove, and now with a win in Indy, they have a real chance at stealing the AFC South crown after their season hopes once looked dead in the water.

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As the Indianapolis Colts prepare to host the Houston Texans this Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, a handful of critical matchups could decide the outcome of an imperative AFC South rivalry game.

The Colts sit one game ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars and two games ahead of the Texans, but that lead could evaporate into thin air with a home loss on Sunday afternoon.

With that being said, let’s jump into the first matchup to watch for.

DE Will Anderson Jr. vs. Colts’ Tackles

Will Anderson Jr. popped up on Houston’s injury report on Thursday with a chest issue, but he’ll be good to go against Indy, which means the Colts will face one of the top edge rushers in all of football.

In 11 games played, Anderson has racked up 36 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 3 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, and 17 QB hits. He’s riding a six-game sack streak highlighted by 2.5 sacks against the Buffalo Bills last Thursday, and he’ll be hungry for more against a Colts offensive line that’s been porous over the past few weeks.

The Colts allowed zero sacks against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, but the offensive line wasn’t convincing enough to make me believe that they can stop Anderson and the rest of the Texans’ pass rush.

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WR Nico Collins vs. CB Sauce Gardner

Houston’s offense has relied on the duo of C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins for big plays through the air. Collins has accumulated nearly 700 receiving yards this season and remains a dangerous target, especially now that Stroud is back under center after recovering from a concussion.

Meanwhile, the Colts have upgraded their cornerback room — and that matchup between Collins and Sauce Gardner could go a long way toward determining whether Houston’s passing game thrives.

In his last three games against the Colts, Collins has torn apart the secondary. He’s brought in 22 receptions for 458 yards and 2 touchdowns, and some may remember his near 200-yard game that eliminated the Colts from playoff contention in Week 18 of the 2023 season.

Now that Gardner’s in the mix, Collins could have more trouble getting started. The Colts need to shut down Stroud and force the ball into a league-average rushing offense.

Turnover Battle

Heading into this week, the Colts remain the only team to force a turnover in every game played this season. Lou Anarumo’s squad emphasizes aggressiveness, and it’s proven to pay off all year long.

On the flip side, the Texans have forced the fourth-most turnovers in the league (19). The Colts’ offense committed zero turnovers against the Chiefs last week, but the two games before that told a different story.

Daniel Jones turned the ball over seven times against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons, proving that he can still succumb to pressure after a hot start.

The Colts must win the turnover battle to win the game. If Jones gives Stroud too many opportunities, it could end up being a loss similar to last week.

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