Texans vs. Colts: 5 Questions with Naptown’s Finest

Oct 5, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday evening, the Houston Texans will take on the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC South Showdown for first place in the division. Both the Texans and the Colts are 3-2 on the season.

Before the game, the Toro Times spoke with Naptown’s Finest editor Evan Reller about the upcoming game and got a view of game from the Colts’ perspective. You can visit Naptown’s Finest by clicking here.

1. How would you grade the Colts’ season after 5 weeks? Biggest surprise?

I would give this team a B+ after the 3-2 start. They had chances to win their first two games and were very competitive in both. This was likely the most probable start for the team as well.

After watching Bjoern Werner in camp, it’s surprising that it took him until Week Five to have a big game. Also, a surprise has been the play of safety Mike Adams, who is having a career revival in Indy. We also knew that Ahmad Bradshaw would be pretty good, but he has been a monster in the red zone to start the season.

Some might say Andrew Luck, but honestly, this isn’t a surprise at all if you have been paying attention. He was poised for a big year with all the downfield weapons and his own natural progression. It also helps that he’s finally getting a reasonable amount of protection.

Oct 5, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) is blocked by Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin (70) in the third quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

2. What do you feel the Colts will have to do extremely well for them to defeat the Texans on Thursday night?

Stop J.J. Watt.

Slow him down, use three blockers and a lot of movement to prevent him from killing Luck. He’s only sacked Luck four times in four meetings, and in the last meeting between the two teams, Watt had his second-worst game of 2013.

Aside from stopping the monster, the Colts will need to keep Arian Foster in check. Ryan Fitzpatrick won’t take over the game, so they need to put the Texans in obvious throwing situations, which plays into the team’s strength on defense.