Happy Thanksgiving!
Even happier the Houston Texans are off today in order to build on the 10-day lead up to their first encounter with the 2025 Indianapolis Colts.
Right now, the thousand foot view sure
seems like the Colts are the best of the best and Houston is overachieving.
But when you dig deeper, the numbers tell the real story.
The baby horses have narrowly defeated the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons. They’ve lost to the LA Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. Their only decisive victories have been against the bottom-feeding BESFs, Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins.
The Spark Notes version: They lose to good teams, struggle against solid teams and beat bad ones.
And, 1 of the 2 the other top flight defenses they faced, defeated them.
With C.J. Stroud returning for action, the Texans defense trying to regain the #1 scoring defense spot from the Rams and the AFC South Championship still very much up for grabs, expect Demeco’s Dawgs to hit the field hungry and ready to feast.
Houston Texans Week 13 Stats
- TEXANS rank 2nd in NFL in points allowed per game (16.5).
- QB DAVIS MILLS passed for 153 yards & 2 TDs last week. Aims for 4th in row with TD pass. Has 250+ pass yards in 2 of his past 3.
- QB C.J. STROUD aims for his 4th in row on road with 200+ pass yards & TD pass. Has 225+ pass yards & TD in each of his 4 career starts vs. Ind., incl. 2+ TD passes in 3 starts.
- RB WOODY MARKS led team with 74 rush yards in Week 12. Aims for 4th in row with 50+ scrimmage yards. Ranks 6th among rookies with 422 rush yards in 2025.
- WR CHRISTIAN KIRK had 30th career TD catch last week. Had 4 rec. for 88 yards in his last game vs. Ind. (10/6/24 w/ Jax.).
- WR JAYDEN HIGGINS (rookie) had TD catch in Week 12. Ranks tied-5th in rec. TD (4) among rookies this season.
- DE WILL ANDERSON JR. led team with season-high 2.5 sacks & had PD last week. Ranks 4th in NFL with 10.5 sacks this season. Has sack in 6 consecutive games, longest active streak.
- DE DANIELLE HUNTER had 2 sacks last week & ranks 3rd in the NFL with 11 in sacks this season (11). Has 4 games with 2+ sacks in 2025, tied-most in NFL (Brian Burns & Myles Garrett). Aims for his 3rd in row 1.5+ sacks.
- DE TIM SETTLE had 1st sack of season & 2 TFL last week.
- DE DEREK BARNETT had sack in Week 12.
- LB HENRY TO’OTO’O had 7 tackles & sack in Week 12. Had 7 tackles, TFL & PD in his last game vs. Ind. (9/8/24).
- LB AZEEZ AL-SHAAIR had 7 tackles & PD last week.
- S CALEN BULLOCK had career-high 2 INTs & FF in Week 12, only player to do so in a single game this season.
- S JAYLEN REED led team with 11 tackles & FR last week.
Baby Horseman Daniel Jones has tossed 17 touchdowns to 7 interceptions so far this season. Houston’s Calen Bullock, Jalen Pitre and Derek Stingley Jr. are all in the Top 25 Interceptors going into this weekend. Do the math.
What fuels Bullock? Besides freakish athleticism and a nuclear fire burning inside him? The Destroyer of Worlds Duo in front of the secondary.
Indianapolis Colts Week 13 Stats
- QB DANIEL JONES completed 19 of 31 atts. (61.3 pct.) for 181 yards & 2 TDs in Week 12. Is 1 of 3 QBs with 210+ pass yards in 10+ games (10) this season & 1 of 4 with TD pass in 11 games. Has 100+ rating in each of 5 starts at Lucas Oil Stadium this season. Completed 13 of 17 atts. (76.5 pct.) for 197 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 153.3 rating in only career start vs. Hou. (11/13/22 w/ NYG).
- RB JONATHAN TAYLOR led team with 66 scrimmage yards (58 rush, 8 rec.) last week. Ranks 2nd NFL in scrimmage yards (1,465), rush yards (1,197) & scrimmage TDs (17) this season. Has 130+ scrimmage yards & TD in 3 of his past 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2025. Has 1,067 scrimmage yards (133.4 per game) and 10 TDs (9 rush, 1 rec.) in 8 career games vs. Hou.
- WR MICHAEL PITTMAN had 5 catches for 27 yards & TD in Week 12. Has 5+ catches is 4 of his past 5. Aims for his 4th in row vs. division with 6+ catches & 70+ rec. yards.
- WR ALEC PIERCE aims for his 4th in row at Lucas Oil Stadium with 45+ rec. yards.
- TE TYLER WARREN had 5 catches for 45 yards last week. Has most receptions (55) & ranks 3rd in rec. yards (662) among rookies in 2025. Has TD catch in 2 of his past 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
- LB ZAIRE FRANKLIN had 14 tackles, TFL & FF in Week 12. Aims for his 3rd in row with 10+ tackles & TFL. Had 11 tackles & TFL in last meeting.
- LB GERMAINE PRATT led team with career-high 20 tackles & had TFL & PD last week. Has TFL in 3 of his past 4. Aims for his 4th in row with PD.
- DE LAIATU LATU had 6 tackles, sack & INT in Week 12. Has sack in 4 of his past 5.
- DT GROVER STEWART had 1st half sack of season last week. Had 6 tackles & 2 TFL in last meeting.
- S CAMRYN BYMUM had 3 tackles in Week 12. Had 6 tackles & INT in only career game vs. Hou. (9/22/24 w/ Min.).
- CB SAUCE GARDNER had 7 tackles & PD last week. Aims for his 6th in row with PD.
The 2025 Colts are nothing to sneeze at, and all the stats in the world are meaningless without the W-L ones. Sitting at 8-3, the lil white ponies look like the cream of the AFC crop.
But, horses aren’t meant to run through brick walls.
Texans vs Colts prediction
Jonathan Taylor will keep Houston’s defense honest and Daniel Jones is having a career year. These 2 alone can give an opposing defensive coordinator sleepless nights. Sauce Gardner joining the horse clan is an immediate upgrade as well.
For those who came in late, the Texans defense is lights out, historically good, generating highlight reels like they’re money.
With the return of Stroud, hopefully Texans OC Nick Caley can get out of the way and the Texans offense can rise up.
Houston Texans – 27
Indianapolis Colts – 13
Houston’s road to the post season flies by the exit ramp this weekend. The “Colts are pretenders” talk ramps up and the gap in the AFC South leader race narrows quickly.
