Can Houston's defense stop Jonathan Taylor? Plus, C.J. Stroud returns as playoff positioning hangs in the balance.
The Houston Texans (6-5) take on the Indianapolis Colts (8-3) on Sunday. The matchup pits two of the AFC's best teams against each other with playoff positioning on the line.
Houston enters the game winners of three straight including a 23-19 win over the Buffalo Bills their last time out on Thursday Night Football. The game said more about the Texans than the Bills, in that Houston has a defense capable of playing at a playoff level.
Indianapolis, despite a strong start, has suffered two of their three losses in the last three games. Most recently, the Colts fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime, 23-20. The Colts also lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier in the month of November, 27-20.
The interesting matchup features one of the best running games in the NFL against a suffocating Texans defense. Let's look at what we're watching in the game.
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has been a force for his team this season. Which Taylor shows up the game will be well worth monitoring. Limiting the talented back has been the difference between winning and losing for a handful of opponents.
In the Colts' three losses, Taylor rushed for 58 yards against the Chiefs, 45 yards against the Steelers and 76 yards against the Rams. Save for a couple of games, most of the Colts' wins have leaned on strong running days for Taylor with many games resulting in 100 yards or more.
The tight end battle could be important. It could be an advantage for the Texans on Sunday. Colts star tight end Tyler Warren is listed as questionable due to illness. Whether he can play or not could have significant implications.
Warren currently leads his team in receiving yards with 662 yards on 55 receptions with three touchdowns. If he is unable to play the pressure increasing for Taylor to produce.
For the Texans, tight end Dalton Shultz is looking to rebound from a tough performance against the Buffalo Bills. Schultz caught one of his four targets for eight receiving yards. The previous three games saw Schultz eclipse 50 receiving yards each time in games against the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Denver Broncos.
While Schultz' best games, 98 yards against the Seahawks and 77 yards against the Broncos, resulted in losses, the Texans would welcome a strong performance from the veteran tight end.
The biggest story is the return of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Houston will look to continue its winning streak as it gets its leader back into the fold.