HOUSTON (AP) — Saturday’s wild-card game between the Houston
Texans and Indianapolis Colts is a matchup that seemed improbable early this
season after Houston dropped its first three games and the Colts limped to a 1-5
start.Instead of letting their tough starts lead to disappointing
years
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Jersey , these teams which both finished 4-12 last season turned
things around to lead the AFC South and charge into the postseason.Houston’s
rebound began at the expense of the Colts (10-6) and it was thanks in part to a
controversial call by Indianapolis coach Frank Reich in overtime. The game was
tied 34-34 when, instead of punting on fourth-and-4 from his 43-yard line and
likely settling for a tie, Reich called for a short pass from Andrew Luck to
Chester Rogers. Luck’s pass fell incomplete, Houston got a 24-yard completion on
the next play, and Ka’imi Fairbairn made a 37-yard field goal as time expired to
give the Texans (11-5) a 37-34 victory."We knew that to be able to come out on
the winning end of that game was a big thing for us, but that’s a long time
ago,” Houston coach Bill O’Brien said. "The teams have evolved over time, so
it’s a new ballgame now.”The win was the first of nine straight for Houston. The
Texans didn’t lose again until a visit from the Colts on Dec. 9, a 24-21 Indy
victory. Houston then won two of its last three games, capped by a 20-3 victory
over the Jaguars on Sunday to clinch the division — and become the sixth team
since 1980 and first since 1998 to make the playoffs after a 0-3 start.The
Colts’ loss to Houston in Week 4 was the second of four straight that dropped
them to 1-5. Indianapolis then won its next five and nine of its last 10 to make
its first playoff appearance since a 2014 AFC championship game loss at New
England. Yes, the "Deflategate” game.The Colts are the third team in NFL history
to reach the postseason after losing five of the first six games.These teams
have more in common than their difficult starts. They’re both led by a player
making a comeback after an injury.Luck returned after missing the 2017 season
with a shoulder injury to throw for 4,593 yards and rank second in the NFL with
39 touchdown passes. His best games this season have come against Houston,
piling up 863 yards passing with six touchdowns.Trying to slow him down on
Saturday will be Houston’s comeback star J.J. Watt, who played all 16 games
after starting just eight games combined in the previous two years because of
back surgeries and a broken leg. Watt led the AFC with 16 sacks
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Jersey , had 25 quarterback hits, 18 tackles for losses and forced
a career-high seven fumbles, which tied for most in the NFL.Watt said Luck has
been getting rid of the ball quicker this season, which makes his job as a pass
rusher much more difficult."You try and do different things, but at the end of
the day, you try and get there, and if you can get your hands up, you get your
hands up,” he said. "You just try and get there. You can’t really let it affect
you, and you hope maybe he holds it for an extra second.”Some things to know
about Houston’s game against Indianapolis:HILTON’S INSome of T.Y. Hilton’s most
memorable moments have come against the Texans — especially when he visits
Houston.The Colts’ top receiver has caught 41 passes for 933 yards with seven
TDs in seven games at NRG Stadium, and in the last two trips to Houston Hilton
has 14 receptions for 374 yards and two TDs. So even though he’s been hobbled by
a bad ankle, which he initially injured at Houston on Dec. 9, Hilton insists
he’ll be fine Sunday."That’s probably why it’s starting to feel better,” Hilton
joked earlier this week when asked about playing in Houston for the second time
in a month.DESHAUN’S DEBUTHouston quarterback Deshaun Watson will make his
playoff debut in his second year in the NFL. Don’t expect the 12th overall pick
in the 2017 draft to be daunted by the challenge after he played plenty of huge
games at Clemson
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Jersey , highlighted by leading his team to the national title game
twice. The Tigers lost to Alabama when Watson was a sophomore before he helped
Clemson beat Alabama 35-31 for the 2016 national championship."It’s just another
opportunity for myself and this whole team to be able to show what we’ve got and
put in the work,” Watson said. "I’ve played in a lot of big games before in
college and stuff, but you can’t really pit college playoffs with the NFL. This
is the hardest business, top-notch. It’s a whole new season, a whole new speed
of game. So it’s going to be new for me (and) it’s going to be a lot of
fun.”TURNAROUND TIMEIndy didn’t just rebound from a 1-5 start to make the
playoffs. It rewrote the book.While the oft-criticized offensive line allowed a
league-low 18 sacks after giving up a league-high 56 in 2017, the biggest change
came on defense, where the Colts were ranked No. 11. They had the league’s
leading tackler, 26 takeaways, allowed only 16.4 points over the final eight
games, and were one of three teams that didn’t allow a 100-yard rusher all
season.The Colts know it will take more of the same to advance."The last time we
did a good job, that was great for us, but this is a new challenge this week,”
Reich said when asked about defending Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins. "I’m
sure they are going to try to get him going.” Tennessee Titans quarterback
Marcus Mariota fully participated in Friday's practice and is expected to start
Monday night's road game against the AFC South-leading Houston Texans.Mariota
suffered a stinger Sunday in a 38-10 loss at Indianapolis and didn't play in the
second half of that game. He was limited in Wednesday and Thursday's work but
got the green light from head coach Mike Vrabel on Friday to start, barring an
unforeseen setback."He felt better
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2019 ," Vrabel said. "We've got to keep working. ... He looked good
today, but that's why you practice. You try to always improve and get better and
fix the things you didn't have right. He was not limited."Mariota missed the
first meeting between the Titans and Texans on Sept. 16 in Nashville. The Titans
won that game 20-17 with backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert under center and with
the help of a fake punt touchdown.While Mariota was a full participant on
Friday, defensive coordinator Dean Pees was absent from the afternoon
practice.Pees spent Sunday night in an Indianapolis hospital due to a medical
issue. Pees returned to practice Wednesday and Thursday, but Vrabel wanted him
to rest on Friday and excused him from practice."Dean was tired today, and I
asked him to go home," Vrabel said. "I wanted him to get some rest. I'm trying
to get Dean to Monday night, just like I am all the players. The plan was
simply, 'Hey, Dean, why do you go get some rest? Why don't you go get some
sleep?' That's what I felt like was best to try to get him to the game."Also,
left tackle Taylor Lewan was out of Friday's practice due to illness. Running
back David Fluellen remains out with a knee injury.