As we established last week, Thursday Night NFL games have been terrible this season. And after the first quarter tonight (a quarter where the Texans gained all of two yards to the Colts 24 points) it looked like we were sprinting towards yet another blowout. In large part this was due to Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton, who exploded in the first quarter, going for nearly 150 yards, before relenting/chilling the fuck out, and finishing with just 223 on the night. While most people probably came to the conclusion that this was yet another sham of a game, they turned the channel, watched Bad Judge for 30 seconds, and then quickly tuned back in.
That was a good move because in the second quarter (and beyond) Houston woke up. The catalyst to their resurgence came from two turnovers. The first, an interception that led to a touchdown. The second, a J.J. Watt fumble recovery that led to a terrible attempt at the NaeNae.
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Watt finished the night with seven tackles, two sacks, three swats at the line and that TD. If nothing else, he put on the type of show in front of a national audience that could (should?) finally convince any dissenters that he's the best defensive player in the NFL.
Ultimately though, when you dig 24-point holes, it's tough to come all the way back. After all, these are the Colts, not the Titans. At least this game gave us more excitement than the past five Thursdays (meaning it ended within 20 points). With just over two minutes, Texans signal-caller Ryan Fitzpatrick had an opportunity to lead a 91-yard game winning charge down the field. It had all the drama that CBS could've wanted. And then this happened:
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That essentially sealed the contest, giving the Colts a 33-28 victory.
Still, it was a great game. The type of thing we need to get us through the final day of the work week. Here's hoping it's the start of a trend and not just a random exception.
