Indianapolis Colts

Early Betting Lines On NFL Weeks 1 Through 16

It's always good to get in on something at the beginning, at the ground floor. In the world of sports wagering, for bettors equally long on hubris and illness (gambling is a sickness, my friends), some betting outlets realize that no time is too soon to put out lines on NFL games. The draft just en ... More >>

Texans-Bengals, Act III: Same Names, But New Identities

After a season of lofty hopes and expectations of a home AFC Championship game, the Texans find themselves in the exact same spot they were one year ago. They're the number three seed in the AFC playoffs, opening at Reliant Stadium against number six Cincinnati. The Texans thrashed the Bengals, 31 ... More >>

Football! This Weekend's Best Bets, NFL Playoff Edition

Best bets time and after going 5-1 last week, just in time for the holidays I might add, we are all even now heading into 2013! 50-50-2! People who are into hobbies like to talk about conducting those activities under optimal conditions. Skiers enjoy skiing with four feet of powder on a sunny day. ... More >>

Texans-Colts: 4 Winners, 4 Losers, "Playoff Apocalypse" Version

Well, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that any plans you had to take a week off from Texans' football in order to get some early spring cleaning done or go visit relatives, well, you best change them. After losing 28-16 to the Colts on Sunday in Indianapolis (Texans are 0-11 lifetime ... More >>

Colts 28, Texans 16: Gary Kubiak-Led Collapse Reaches Fitting Conclusion

Dumbfounding special teams miscues. A 70-yard touchdown over the top on 3rd-and-23. Two inexplicable Matt Schaub interceptions with the offense rolling. Four offsides penalties. Two timeouts wasted on a baffling challenge and an indecisive fourth down. These are Gary Kubiak's Houston Texans. In the ... More >>

Texans-Colts: The 10 Best Playoff-Choking Rapper Tweets

Houston has a professional football team. They are called the Houston Texans. A lot of people like them. Some of those people are rappers. The Internet has several forms of social media. One of them is called Twitter. A lot of people use it. Some of those people are rappers. Rocks Off perused Twit ... More >>

NFL Playoff Scenarios: A Guide To This Sunday

Week 17 of the NFL season is upon us this weekend, and while there are still plenty of moving (or potentially moving) parts left to be slotted, the one thing we are sure of is that in the NFC the Atlanta Falcons will have a first round bye and home field throughout the playoffs. The Texans have to ... More >>

Football! This Weekend's Best Bets, And A Story Of The Worst Gambling Beat Ever

File this one under "Worst Beats Ever": According to a story on businessinsider.com, there was a bettor last week (and the story has a picture of the ticket, so I tend to believe it's true) who fired on an eight-team parlay of NFL games on Sunday, risking $50 to win $18,441. The first seven games ... More >>

AFC Playoff Projections, Week 7: First One Onto The Colts Bandwagon!

When Peyton Manning and the Broncos stormed back with 35 unanswered points in the second half of their 35-24 Monday night win against the Chargers this week, they accomplished a few things: 1. They tied an NFL record for the largest comeback win by a road team in NFL history. 2. They evened their ... More >>

2012: Year of the Texans

Assessing all their strengths and weaknesses, we could be looking at a repeat or better.

Five Faces of Colts Fan: A "Goodbye Peyton" Video Anthology

Peyton Manning was cut loose by the Indianapolis Colts yesterday, and while Peyton himself picks up the pieces and figures out which team's tens of millions to take next, the city of Indianapolis will take decidedly longer than Peyton himself to recover from yesterday's events. In 2012, we no longe ... More >>

Peyton Manning's Colts Career Ends, More Cheesy Peyton Videos Begin

If everyday breakups went as smoothly as the press conference at Colts headquarters Wednesday, you'd see far fewer people staying in dysfunctional relationships to merely avoid the pain and anguish that comes with ending it. Colts owner Jim Irsay and longtime quarterback/franchise icon Peyton Manni ... More >>

Colts 19, Texans 16: The Day The Sports Gods Reminded Houstonians To Know Our Role

Oh, there goes gravity​For months, it seemed as though the Texans were the average Houstonian's sports salvation. Never mind the Astros' status as the worst organization in baseball and a Bud Selig-forced move to the American League after 50 years. Never mind that the Rockets, after cleverly ... More >>

The Peyton Manning Saga -- A Very Special 4 Winners, 4 Losers

Everyone wants The Beard​"Peyton Manning's not going to let (the Colts) draft Andrew Luck." -- Phil Simms "I don't talk to Phil. Phil doesn't talk to me. He did text me after that, saying 'Hey, sorry to drag your name into this.' I wrote back, 'Phil I don't know what you're talking about.' He ... More >>

Could the Texans Be Favored in Every Game the Rest of the Season?

Photo by Marco TorresReasons to smile?​"Its not that big of a stretch to think the Texans will be favored in every remaining game." -- @clintshane on Twitter last night It's funny, I mentioned in yesterday's post how drastically people's outlooks can swing based on a relatively small body of ... More >>

Texans-Saints, Etc. -- 4 Winners, 4 Losers

Big winner: James Casey​The easy fall back after Sunday's 40-33 to the New Orleans Saints is to say "Same ol' Texans," and in a way, I understand. Red zone issues, fourth quarter brain farts (23 points allowed), the untimely turnover, same ol' Texans. But I choose to look at the glass half f ... More >>

Football! This Weekend's Best Bets, A Salute To TV Season Premieres

DWTS = this week's Philly-Giants game?​Television fascinates me. It seems like a new station pops up onto my channel grid every day to the point where I'm actually a little disappointed I haven't been approached by anyone to televise the Sean Network. I mean, doesn't everyone have their own ne ... More >>

Texans 34, Colts 7: In Role Reversal, Defense Picks Up Offense

Photo by Marco TorresMatt Schaub encountered the odd concept of relying on his defense.​It took just 12 game minutes for Wade Phillips and his new-look defense to show why this year's Texans could be different from their once-promising predecessors. Matt Schaub wasn't himself early on, air-ma ... More >>

Houston Texans Game 1 -- 4 Winners, 4 Losers

Photo by Marco Torres​Yesterday was a great day. The NFL season kicked off, the Texans were at home, and the weather was an unseasonably cool 96 degrees in Houston, perfect tailgating weather if you can deal with pit stains and butt sweat. Oh, and the Texans beat the Colts in the opener for t ... More >>

Texans-Colts: Five Things to Watch

No Peyton, no chance.​With Peyton Manning out for Sunday's opener and potentially the entire year after undergoing a second surgery on his neck, the narrative for Houston changes from a statement game to one of trends. That is, there should be no way to actually lose, or for the final score t ... More >>

The New Normal

The Texans start operating like a bona fide NFL team.

Houston Texans -- Dissecting Gary Kubiak's Press Conference

How's that hopey-changey thing workin' out for ya?​Nobody's perfect.This is what I involuntarily remind myself every day with my myriad of fuck-ups, and what I try to willingly remind myself as I sit down to watch every Houston Texans game, assess the various tactical decisions made throughout the ... More >>

Colts 30, Texans 17: Indianapolis Still Has No Answer for Arian Foster. Enter Gary Kubiak

Photo by Aaron M. SprecherGary Kubiak knows how to keep Arian Foste from beating the Colts​In week one, the Texans (4-3) annihilated the Colts because Indianapolis couldn't stop running back Arian Foster, who rushed for 231 yards and three touchdowns. In week eight, the Colts (5-2) still couldn't ... More >>

Texans-Colts: You Come At The King, You Best Not Miss

The Texans failed to heed sage advice​"You come at the king, you best not miss." -- Omar Little, The Wire That line works. Whether you're trying to riddle the most feared gangster in the drug neighborhood with bullets or whether you're attempting to sweep the season series from the best quarter ... More >>

Texans' Bye Brings Unofficial Start To AFC Bubble Watch

Will the Texans take "moops" for an answer?​For the first time in seven weeks, a football Sunday passed and the Texans' secondary wasn't torched by an opposing quarterback. Of course, that sadly meant it was the Texans' bye week.A week from tonight, Peyton Manning will look to repeat his 400-yard ... More >>

Texans 30, Redskins 27: This Was The Game Great Teams Win, And The Old Texans Lose

Arian Foster's a perfect 6-0​On the surface, it could seem silly to characterize a 3-point overtime escape in Washington as more of a season-defining moment than a blowout of rival Indianapolis. But when you consider where the now 2-0 Texans have been, that appears to be exactly the case.Ask New O ... More >>

Texans 34, Colts 24: Foster Dashes To Stardom, But Give Kubiak His Due

Photo by Aaron M. SprecherMario Williams was a stud against the Colts​See photos from the season-opening game in our slideshow. For a brief time, the script looked all too familiar on Sunday at Reliant Stadium. The Texans raced out to a big first-half lead over the Colts, only to watch Peyton Man ... More >>

Our Year

Will Texans make it to playoffs?

Game Time: I, For One, Am Excited About the Texans Schedule

​As far as an industry goes, there is a lot for the National Football League to be proud of. Massive global appeal, groundbreaking television offerings surrounding both the games themselves as well as the happenings behind the scenes, competitive balance -- all reasons it's the most successful ... More >>

Texans Schedule Out, And More Rides On Kubiak Than Ever Before

​The season remains nearly five months away, but with Tuesday night's much-celebrated release of the 2010 NFL schedule, the gameplanning for Peyton Manning among the Texans' brain trust can and should officially begin. Sure, this week's draft is the more pressing matter. Yes, there are still ... More >>

Then Tracy Porter Intercepted The Bag Of Money And Returned It

Photo courtesy FBI​ Wearing his gear proudly, this Indianapolis Colts fan robbed a bank inside a Randall's on FM 1960 Friday night. We assume he needed the cash to put down a boatload on the Colts giving four and a half."The photo clearly shows the Colts logo on the shirt as well as the large hand ... More >>

A Scientific Comparison Of Indianapolis And New Orleans

​Even before Katrina, Houston was long a brother to New Orleans. Cars packed with revelers make that I-10 drive come Mardi Gras time, or whenever the urge hits.Katrina only cemented the bond. So with the Saints in the Super Bowl, as odd as those five words strung together may sound, we're firmly r ... More >>

Is Anyone Rooting For The Colts In The Super Bowl?

​Now that the NFL is down to two teams, the big question remains -- who the hell is going to be rooting for Indianapolis?Let's examine the options.The cities.On the one hand, you have a town (not a city) full of pasty Midwesterners, a burg that only has an NFL team because the owner of one of the ... More >>

Game Time: NFL Conference Title Predictions...Channeling College Football

There's no two ways about it, my NFL playoff predictions have been terrible. As I outlined on Monday, I reached a point this past weekend, after going goose eggs on the first seven games, where I picked the Jets to beat the Chargers outright merely because every rational thought and shred of evide ... More >>

What's It Gonna Take To Get Gary Kubiak Fired?

Photo by Mark C. Austin​Before the football season, Houston Texans owner Bob McNair supposedly said that anything short of the playoffs for the team would be unacceptable. I say supposedly because here we are, in January, at the end of another non-playoff season, and not only is Gary Kubiak still ... More >>

Game Time: Texans Playoff Rooting Manifesto 3.0..."Jim Caldwell Sucks" Edition

​There will be no need for 2,000 words to explain the various permutations of things that need to happen this week for the Texans to make the 2009 NFL Playoffs. Thanks to the various dominoes falling yesterday, heading into Week 17, the following scenario needs to play out:-- Texans beat the Patri ... More >>

Sure, The Colts Screwed The Texans Yesterday. But You Can Get A Free Glass Of Champagne Because Of It!

​As our Sean Pendergast ably points out, the Indianapolis Colts gave a big eff-you to the Houston Texans yesterday, dealing the locals' playoff chances a deathblow. (Technically, the Texans' playoff hopes are alive, but they're as alive as David Carr's Hall of Fame candidacy.)The Colts called off ... More >>

Game Time: Your Texans Playoff Rooting Manifesto, 2009 Edition...Yeah, You Heard Me!!

​The internet has been a wonderful invention. It's allowed us to do all of our Christmas shopping in our underwear, go to college in our underwear, hell even go to work in our underwear. Basically, it's allowed us to do a lot of things in our underwear that we never thought possible, including giv ... More >>

Colts 35, Texans 27: At Least You Saw This One Coming

​The most alarming aspect in the latest installment of Texans collapses wasn't the game itself. Rather, what's most frightening is just how customary this has become under the leadership of head coach Gary Kubiak.In this week's edition, the lion's share of blame goes to quarterback Matt Schaub and ... More >>

Game Time: Defining Texans Coach Gary Kubiak

​"When a defining moment comes along, you define the moment... or the moment defines you." -- Roy McAvoyCertainly, I'm not asking Gary Kubiak to make like the source of the above quote and take multiple 3-wood shots over a water hazard to post a 12 on the last hole of the U.S. Open, or even do o ... More >>

Texans Find Yet Another Way To Turn Breakthrough Into Heartbreak

​Before 2004, I remember laughing at Red Sox fans and the Curse of the Bambino. I rolled my eyes while Cubs fans whined about a goat. I remember being baffled that grown men and women could seriously believe or discuss outside forces having an impact on what occurs in the field of play.Then I met ... More >>

Game Time: Kick In The Junk...Wide Left

​I woke up Sunday morning thinking that things had to get better. After a week that started off with a right cross from Kobe, a left hook from the Yankees, and a sucker punch in the junk from Notre Dame, I thought surely these events were just karmic balance for what was going to be the biggest w ... More >>

Wednesday Morning Quarterbacking: Special Post-Amsterdam Edition

So I was in Amsterdam for the weekend – working on those frequent flyer miles – and I missed the Texans’ 33-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. However, the BBC World Service did manage to show highlights from the Titans/Jaguars game. After the game, Gary Kubiak went with the “we had a ... More >>

Texans' Downhill Swing Likely to Pick up Momentum Against Colts

Peyton to Texans: "See you sissies in Hell" Wow, was it just three weeks ago that the Texans were 3-4 and people were talking playoffs? Time sure does fly, doesn’t it? The Texans are now 3-6 and are playing the Indianapolis Colts this weekend. The Texans haven’t had a lot of luck against ... More >>

John Royal's NFL Power Rankings

Gary Kubiak’s Top Ten Excuses for Losing to the Colts

Texans-Colts: Houston Needs to Go to Finishing School

Miss Cleo’s Fearless Forecast: Super Bowl XLIII Winner Revealed!

John Royal's NFL Picks, Week 11: Andre Johnson Is Back, But Take the Saints Anyway

Long Snaps with Bryan Pittman: Sashimi, Indy and Ignorance