Houston Texans step up when needed in 2nd half vs. Colts

The Houston Texans didn’t play their very best game, but they won a must-win type of game by defeating the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football.

The Houston Texans took over first place in the AFC South in Week 12 as they did just enough to defeat the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium by a 20-17 score, snapping a three-game losing streak against the team from Indianapolis.

The difference of this game for Houston was they made plays when they needed them the most, and that was in the second half where maybe the best play of the game was made by Deshaun Watson-to-DeAndre Hopkins to seal the win with a 30-yard completion for the 20-17 advantage.

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For the game, Watson finished 19-of-30 for 298 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Watson also rushed for 10 yards on three carries.

Another big play came in the first half by the Texans was a 24-yard pass from Watson to Darren Fells on a third-and-13 play at the Indianapolis 47-yard line, leading to a field goal by the Texans.

In the third quarter, Watson had a 44-yard completion to Will Fuller on a first-and-20 situation, though there were no points scored on the drive. There was another play by the duo of Watson to Fuller for a 51-yard gain in the third quarter.

The duo of Hopkins and Will Fuller showcased their skills in Week 12 with Hopkins totaling six receptions (nine targets) for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Fuller led the Teams with seven receptions for 140 yards receiving on 11 targets.

Also, the rushing game came alive in the fourth quarter when the Texans needed it as well with Carlos Hyde finishing with 16 carries for 67 yards in a game where the rushing game of Houston was all but non-existent for three quarters. The only big play by the rushing game of the Texans came with a 33-yard run by Hyde in the fourth quarter when he powered his way up the middle from the Houston 25-yard line all the way to the Indianapolis 42-yard line.

The defense needs a lot of work too, but injuries hit the Texans hard and the unit survived to hold the Colts to 17 points, and stepped up in the fourth quarter when their backs were against the wall.

Houston needs work, there is no doubt about that, but Thursday night was a big bounce back from their performance in Week 11 in the loss to Baltimore. The Texans have 10 days until their next game, which is against the New England Patriots,and is a big game for the Texans, as the current stretch of games continues to stay a challenge.

This was a good win for the Texans because they got over the hump that is the Colts, and they now have a one-game advantage over their rival, giving both teams a win against each other in the regular season, which will be very important moving forward.