The Indianapolis Colts (6-4) kept their playoff hopes alive with a dominating 33-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
The Big Picture
As it stands entering Week 12, the Colts hold the top spot in the AFC South. Though they are tied with the Houston Texans (6-4), the Colts hold the tiebreaker thanks to their Week 7 win. This means the Colts hold either the third or fourth seed in the AFC playoffs once the week is officially over.
There are a handful of teams right around the Colts in the playoff picture. A Kansas City Chiefs loss put the Colts as the third seed. The Chiefs have the Monday night game this week. Other teams like the Steelers (5-5), Raiders (5-4) and Titans (5-5) are all within striking distance.
Their biggest opponent, though, comes in the form of their Week 12 matchup against the Texans.
This Week’s Talking Point
It’s all about the Texans. This is a must-win game for the Colts. Just as Sunday’s matchup with the Jaguars was near a must-win, the Colts have to come out of their road trip with the Texans with a victory if they want to control their own destiny.
Both teams are at the top of the division, but the Colts hold the tiebreaker. The Texans are coming off of a blowout loss against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11 and will be turning around on a short week to host the Colts.
These two teams first met in Week 7 where the Colts came out with a 30-23 home win. Jacoby Brissett had a career day throwing for 326 yards and four touchdowns. The Colts will need a similar performance on Thursday night.
We’ll Also Discuss
The Colts have a crucial stretch of games coming up that will likely determine their season. Where does this game fall in accordance to the vitality of the home stretch, and how will the several injuries impact the Colts’ ability to stay competitive.
Another aspect to look at will be the status of wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who has been out of game action since suffering a calf injury in Week 8.
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