Footballica: Indy Colts Try To Make It Two In A Row

Game: Houston Texans (10-4) at Indianapolis Colts (1-13)

Stadium: Lucas Oil Stadium

Date: Thursday, December 22

Time: 8:20 PM EST

Texans Player to Watch:

RB Arian Foster

With quarterback Matt Schaub out for the remainder of the season and top receiver Andre Johnson recovering from yet another hamstring injury, Foster has been shouldering the offensive load in recent weeks. He leads the team in rushing yards (1,066, No. 6 in the NFL) and is right behind tight end Owen Daniels (53 catches for 673 yards) for most receptions and receiving yards (50 for 601) on the club. While Foster, who also has 11 TDs, gets most of the recognition, his backup Ben Tate is also having a great year in his first full season (846 yards, 5.5 ypc and 3 TDs). No wonder Houston ranks second in the NFL with 151.8 rushing yards per game.

Colts Player to Watch:

DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis

Along with the rest of the Colts, Freeney and Mathis aren’t exactly having their best seasons, obviously, but with 7.5 and 6.5 sacks, respectively, both players are still very capable of getting after the quarterback and disrupting the opposition’s passing game. In this case, with Houston down to its third-string QB, Freeney and Mathis could smell blood and jump at the chance to put pressure on T.J. Yates, a rookie who’s starting just his fourth career game. The Colts DE duo could make it difficult for the Texans to try to get their aerial attack in some kind of rhythm heading into the postseason.

Texans X Factor:

Defense

Houston has gained a well-earned rep as one of the better offenses in football over the past few seasons, but the defense is finally starting to catch up. LB Brian Cushing, who tops the Texans with 98 total tackles (and also has 3 sacks and a pair of picks) is at the heart of an underrated unit that also features fellow linebackers Connor Barwin (10.5 sacks) and rookie LB Brooks Reed (6 sacks), as well as a strong cornerback duo in Jason Allen and Johnathan Joseph (4 interceptions each). As a whole, the group is allowing just 277.9 total yards and 16.9 points per game – good for second- and third-best in football, respectively – which is especially impressive, considering their best player, LB Mario Williams, was lost for the year in Week 5.

Colts X Factor:

RB Donald Brown

A former first-round pick in 2009, Brown’s first two seasons were utterly disappointing, but he may be turning his career around. Finally getting a shot to carry the ball on a consistent basis, the 24-year-old has rushed for 513 yards on 102 carries, to go with 5 TDs, since taking on a bigger role in Week 7. He had his best performance as a pro in last week’s win, gaining a career-high 161 yards, including a late 80-yard scamper for a score that clinched the Colts’ first win of the season. If he can finish off with another couple of strong outings, Brown could put himself in position to enter 2012 as the Colts’ feature back.

Why This Game Is A Must To Watch With Friends:

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