Breaking down most interesting possible NFL Wild Card matchups
By Ian Wharton
Colts at Texans: Andrew Luck and Deshaun Watson square off
The MVP race is certainly down to Patrick Mahomes and Drew Brees, but that’s not meant to diminish the extraordinary seasons by both Andrew Luck and Deshaun Watson. Should the Colts win at the Tennessee Titans on Sunday night, they’d advance to play the Houston Texans. If the Texans beat Jacksonville, they’d host the Colts, but a loss would make them the road team.
Losing home-field now would be a major blow to the Texans, who also could claim the second seed with a win and Patriots loss. But nevertheless, their most interesting Wild Card scenario is playing a Colts team that’s won eight of their last nine.
Both teams are well-coached despite lacking some talent on the defense. The offenses are a tale of two stories, though.
While the Texans thrive due to Watson’s off-script playmaking and a strong run game, they’re not overly creative nor good at making easy chunk plays. They’ve also suffered difficult injuries to their receiving corps this season.
The Colts are much better coached, and Luck has developed into a Brees-like monster in the pocket with his awareness and accuracy. He’s led a unit with a very good offensive line, T.Y. Hilton, Eric Ebron, and a bunch of no-namers to become a solid offense.
These teams split their season series, and this would be another divisional tiebreaker situation for all the marbles. If the higher-ranked team wins, they’d go on to face the Patriots. If it’s the sixth seed that prevails, they’d be visiting the Chiefs.