INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts dominated the AFC South for nearly a decade.
With names like Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and Jeff Saturday anchoring the offense, and Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis solidifying the defense, the other division teams struggled to keep up with the champs.
Not anymore. The power dynamic has changed dramatically this season, a shift that will be on full display tonight when new champion, the Houston Texans, meet the old one.
“I think you always see a lot of change in the National Football League from one year to the next, but the key is, are you good enough as a team to have a chance to win every week?” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. “I think we’re very much headed in that direction.”
The young Texans (10-4) are progressing.
They’ve lost starting quarterback Matt Schaub and backup Matt Leinart to season-ending injuries. They’ve played eight games without Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson, who will miss the Indy game, too, with a strained left hamstring. They were without defending rushing champ Arian Foster when the season began, and Sunday, they were missing defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.