With Week 7 upon us, the Indianapolis Colts (3-2) will be returning from their bye to host the surging Houston Texans (4-2) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
The matchup should be a close one. It features two teams that both upset the Kansas City Chiefs in their last game played and the fact that the winner holds the top spot in the division makes it even more enticing.
Here are three reasons for optimism for the Colts in Week 7:
Darius Leonard is back
All signs are pointing to the All-Pro linebacker returning from his three-game, four-week absence due to a concussion. The second-year backer couldn’t get back on the field before the bye week, but it appears to be all systems go for Week 7.
The Colts defense had to make some changes while he worked his way back to health, but Leonard will slide into his normal WILL backer position while pushing Anthony Walker back over to his typical MIKE spot.
Leonard’s presence simply brings a different fire and energy to the defense, and the Colts will need it taking on this strong Texans offense.
Texans likely to be without starting RT
Hoping to add talent to a struggling offensive line, the Texans spent the No. 23 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft on Tytus Howard. He’s been the starting right tackle through the first six games but suffered a slight torn MCL.
This means the Texans will have to scrounge for depth against the Colts’ duo of edge defenders in Justin Houston and Jabaal Sheard. It should be a plus matchup for whoever is lining up on the left side of the defensive line.
The Colts pass rush must be a key in this game like they were against the Chiefs. With som potential injuries in the secondary, the Colts must exploit this mismatch.
T.Y. Hilton has owned the Texans
Through the course of his career, Hilton has done immense damage against the Texans more than he has against any other team in the NFL. Does this mean he’s guaranteed to go off? Certainly not. But, the 29-year-old has found ways to torch the Texans secondary regardless of play-caller, quarterback or game script.
In his last five games against the Texans (including playoffs), Hilton has caught 26 passes for 588 yards and two touchdowns. That’s 117.6 receiving yards per game and a whopping 22.6 yards per reception.
Narratives can often be misleading, and it in no way guarantees success, but Hilton has owned the Texans throughout his career. With Bradley Roby potentially missing the game, that trend could continue on Sunday.
