All seems to be well again for the Indianapolis Colts after their 33-13 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Whether it was Jacoby Brissett returning to his post this team’s starting quarterback or the historical rushing performance by Marlon Mack and Jonathan Williams, the Colts certainly had a lot of positives in their Week 11 performance.
But things will take a different turn in Week 12 as the Colts play face another divisional rival in the Houston Texans on Thursday night. This game is arguably the most important one for either team, as they’re currently tied for first place in the AFC South and it involves playoff implications for not only right now but at season’s end.
Here are three key matchups to watch in the Colts’ primetime Week 12 bout against the Texans:
RB Carlos Hyde vs. Colts’ defensive front seven
It was just a few days ago when the Colts’ defense had to face another red-hot running back in Leonard Fournette before ultimately slowing him down (eight carries for 23 rushing yards). But this week is a new week and up next for the AFC South competitor now is a tough matchup with Texans running back Carlos Hyde.
As crazy as this might sound, Hyde’s very solid season in Houston is under the radar. After disappointing stints in Cleveland and Jacksonville between 2017-’18, the former San Fransisco 49er is playing his best football ever. By having 769 rushing yards, a yards per carry average of 4.9, and four rushing touchdowns, Hyde is easily the third-most important player on the Texans offense, behind Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins.
Even with Watson and Hopkins being more than capable of taking over this game, it shouldn’t stop the Colts from trying to contain Hyde. By doing so, this could keep the Texans’ offense in longer down and distances, which is bad for them given their shaky pass protection and Justin Houston’s recent streak of sacks in a game.