:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62756052/1069311008.jpg.0.jpg)
With the Houston Texans’ victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-3, the stakes for the Colts game tonight against the Tennessee Titans have been set. The Colts will play tonight for a shot at the 6th seed and a road playoff game against the Houston Texans.
Houston wins the 2018 AFC South title, and the Patriots clinch the No. 2 seed.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) December 30, 2018
So, barring losses by both the Chiefs and Chargers later today, the Texans will host the winner of Colts-Titans next weekend in the wild card round.
Had the Texans stumbled against the Jaguars, it would have allowed the Colts the opportunity to win the division and open the playoffs with a home game. A road game in Houston might just be the next best thing, though.
The Colts have already won a game on the road in Houston this year, and they generally play well there. T.Y. Hilton has averaged 133 yards and a touchdown per game when playing at NRG Stadium. In case you were wondering, that’s a higher yards per game average in that stadium than DeAndre Hopkins or Texans great Andre Johnson.
While going on the road is always tougher than playing a home game, the Colts have been in elimination mode for a long while. Of the road games they could open up a playoff run with, this one is certainly the most favorable for them.
The prospect of going on the road and getting a wild card win is certainly possible despite being one of the youngest teams in football, having a whole new coaching staff, and being midway through a rebuild. That was a possibility few could have expected at the outset of the season, and even fewer by week 6 when the Colts sat at 1-5.
Now they are just 60 minutes away from being just the 3rd team since 1970 to start 1-5 and make the playoffs. All that stands between them are the Tennessee Titans. It is now time to see if Frank Reich has instilled the culture he wanted. It is time to do what Reich has talked about all season long. Time to finish.