Indianapolis Colts Prepare for Rematch with Houston Texans

Not much is on the line for the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday, but the Houston Texans have a lot to fight for. The Colts already have the fifth seed in the AFC Playoffs locked up, but Houston is still playing for the top seed in the conference. The Texans are looking for a first round bye, as well as homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Colts are playing for pride, both for the return of their head coach, as well as revenge for a week 15 loss in Houston. The 29-17 loss to the Texans helped Houston lock up the AFC South for a second-straight season. although the game’s final score was not quite as indicative as to how close the game really was, the Texans still held down the Colts for much of the contest. Indianapolis had to fight through nearly 80 yards in penalties, as well as a goal line fumble, and a blocked punt that was returned for a Texans touchdown.

Although Indianapolis would like nothing more than to return the favor and even the season series against their division rivals, there is very little that the Colts can accomplish by winning this game. The Colts are already locked into their playoff spot, and risk the chance of injury by playing at full speed against a team who’s looking for that number one spot. Houston has never won in Indianapolis, and even keeping that streak alive is not worth getting another starting player hurt before the playoffs. As much as the Colts would like to roll into the postseason with a big home win for their fans and returning head coach, the risk may be just a bit more important than the reward.