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Primetime Primer: Watt, Texans hoping to disrupt Colts' offense

Troy Taormina / USA TODAY Sports

It's an indictment of the AFC South as a whole that the 1-3 Houston Texans can capture a share of the division lead with a win over the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday.

Andrew Luck is expected to return to the lineup, but he'll likely be at less than 100 percent if he suits up (Update: Luck has been ruled out). Prior to being sidelined with a shoulder injury, the Colts' franchise quarterback was struggling to find his rhythm and that may continue against J.J. Watt and Co.

If Luck is unable to go, 40-year-old Matt Hasselbeck, who steered the team to a narrow 16-13 overtime win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, will be under center.

Watt's singular dominance

While Watt has yet to reach the stratospheric heights he attained in 2014, the Texans superstar is the team's best hope of avoiding another mediocre campaign.

With Luck battling an injury, the Colts' offense has stumbled out of the gate and Houston will do its best to help that trend continue Thursday night.

Luck has completed just 56 percent of his passes thus far and looked uncomfortable against blitz-heavy schemes presented by the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets.

Watt is an omnipresent threat, but the Colts will also need to account for pressure from Jadeveon Clowney, Brian Cushing, and Quintin Demps if the Texans opt to utilize safety blitzes on third down.

Despite their talent, the Texans' pass rush has generated just six sacks in the first four games. That number may rise as they go up against a Colts' offensive line that was extremely disappointing in September, causing head coach Chuck Pagano to call them out.

Regardless of which quarterback gets the start for Indianapolis, the top priority for the offensive line will be keeping its signal caller healthy, a task that won't be easy with Watt bearing down on them.

Player to Watch

Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Texans

Clowney was selected with the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, but his rookie campaign was halted almost immediately due to a torn meniscus suffered in his first pro game. Blessed with unparalleled speed for a 3-4 outside linebacker, Clowney is beginning to deliver on the promise he showed throughout his collegiate career. Watt has been the lone bright spot for the Texans thus far, but Clowney is presented with a chance to form one of the league's most formidable pass-rushing duos. He has a breakout opportunity on national television.

Did you know?

  • Indianapolis holds a staggering 22-4 historical head-to-head advantage over Houston.
  • In their last matchup, the Colts defeated the Texans 17-10. Luck was held to 18-of-34 passing, but tossed two touchdowns, while Watt recorded two sacks in the losing effort.
  • Either the Colts or Texans have finished first in the AFC South for the past six seasons.

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