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Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
If Luck wants to win the rookie of the year award, he needs a win this week.


Against all odds, the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans are playing a meaningful game at Reliant Stadium in Week 15.

Here's everything you need to know about the matchup that wasn't supposed to matter.


What It Means








Matchup to Watch




Watt will typically line up on the right side, though he's been known to move around.

It's still a major question which guards and tackles he'll be taking on.


He'll likely be spelled by the immortal Likenbach, though Hills took a snap at tackle against Tennessee.

The point is that unless your name is Mrs. McGlynn, you've probably never heard of any of these NFL starters.

Let's just say they'll have their hands full.

Watt can single-handedly destroy any hope the Colts have of pulling an upset, so unless this rag-tag band of rebels can figure out how to stop the game's best defender, it could be a long day for the Colts.

Not football related, but undeniably awesome.


Stat That Matters


How big of a gap is there between the two teams?

If you doubled the Indianapolis takeaways for the season, it'd still be minus-six in turnover differential.

If you then doubled the Texans' turnovers on offense, they'd still be plus-one as a team.


Biggest Advantage for the Colts

All the pressure is on Houston.

Let's face it, if the Colts lose, they'll probably still go to the playoffs and will likely still be the five seed. That's found money when it comes to preseason hopes. Anything else they do now is gravy.

The Texans can feel their hopes of a dominant run to New Orleans slipping away. Suddenly, they are at risk of not only losing the top seed to the Patriots, but the division and a home game as well.


The Colts can play loose and free, and that's a huge advantage.


Biggest Advantage for the Texans

They are better than the Colts in every measurable way.


They run better.

They pass better.

They stop the pass better.

They stop the run better.

They. Are. Better.

(And it's not particularly close)


Best Video Only Tangentially Related to the Game



Indianapolis Will Win If... can protect Andrew Luck.


The problem is that the Colts just don't have the offensive line to cope with the Texans pass rush.




Houston Will Win If... shows up locked in.


Houston ought to win this game. That's no guarantee that it will, but it has the better squad.



The Texans aren't the unbeatable juggernaut they appear to be, but then again, Indianapolis isn't as good as its record either.

Winning would be a real accomplishment for the Colts, but it's probably a bridge they aren't ready to cross.


Texans 35 Colts 17

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