When the Houston Texans went into halftime of their meeting with the Detroit Lions on Sunday night, surely they had to feel a sense of relief knowing that they were only 30 minutes away from breaking out of a modest rut that saw them drop two of their previous three games.
Houston was up 23-7 at intermission. Detroit quarterback Jared Goff had already been picked off three times, Texans counterpart C.J. Stroud had completed 70 percent of his passes, and the Lions had never faced such a deficit this season. What could go wrong?
A lot, apparently.
Detroit stormed all the way back, keeping Houston off the scoreboard in the second half and winning 26-23 on Jake Bates’ 52-yard field goal as time expired.
So, make that three losses in four games for the once-mighty Texans, who were 5-1 through their first six games of the season.
Injuries have been the main reason for Houston’s steady decline, with a bum hamstring forcing Nico Collins to miss the past five games and fellow wide receiver Stefon Diggs done for the year because of a torn ACL.
If the Texans were in any other division than the AFC South, which currently features three teams that a handful of high school JV squads could probably give a run for their money, they would really be in a tight spot.
But luckily for Houston, it still has some room for error. However, each setback gives the Indianapolis Colts a reason to keep chasing that division crown.
Indianapolis (4-6) is the only team that the 6-4 Texans have to keep their eye on in the AFC South, as the Tennessee Titans (2-7) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8) might as well start scheduling offseason vacation plans.
There’s a very real possibility that the Colts go 6-1 to close out the campaign. Yes, an optimistic prediction for sure, but colliding with the New York Jets, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Titans and Jaguars could result in a lot of late-season success.
Win those games, then beat either the Broncos or Lions, and congrats, Indianapolis. A 6-1 finish for a 10-7 record. Down Denver and Detroit, and now you’ve shattered all expectations.
Of course, this Colts team has plenty of problems of its own and hasn’t really been able to click all season despite having some serious talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Still, Indianapolis can say it has life, which a number of teams would kill for heading into Week 11.
After a loss like the one it had on Sunday, Houston could easily go off the rails. It has great opportunities to bounce back ahead of its Week 14 bye — facing the Dallas Cowboys, Titans and Jaguars — but dropping any of those games really creates some cause for concern.
Following their brief hiatus, the Texans will be greeted by a healthy version of the Miami Dolphins before taking on the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. Then it’s down to Nashville for the regular-season finale against the Titans.
Houston was already on a very slippery slope, and handing off a win to Detroit on Sunday certainly didn’t help it find its footing. The Texans shouldn’t be all that worried just yet, but if they do end up slipping in the standings, what happened in Week 10 won’t soon be forgotten.
