Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts. Noon. 12/30. **Official GameDay Thread**

[ThaShark316]

The NFL Playoffs formally known as Week 17

Chuck Pagano has been a source of inspiration for the Indianapolis Colts throughout their improbable season.

Now he'll finally get to do it from the sidelines.

After waging a successful three-month fight with leukemia, Pagano has resumed his coaching duties. He'll be back on the field for the first time since Week 3 on Sunday when the Colts close the regular season against the visiting Houston Texans, who will be playing for the top seed in the AFC playoffs.

"I feel great, my weight is back, my energy is back and again, it's just a blessing to be back here," Pagano said.

He'll be taking over after interim coach Bruce Arians led Indianapolis, a league-worst 2-14 last season, to victories in eight of its past 10 games.

"He's always been our head coach," Arians said of Pagano.

While the Colts (10-5) can't move out of the No. 5 seed in the AFC regardless of what happens this week, Pagano will try to help the team regain some momentum heading into the playoffs after a pair of poor performances. A week after never leading in a 29-17 loss at Houston, Indianapolis needed yet another late touchdown drive engineered by Andrew Luck to beat lowly Kansas City 20-13 last Sunday.

The Texans (12-3) also haven't been at their best lately, sandwiching the win over the Colts with losses to New England and Minnesota by a combined 45 points. However, they still have a chance to clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a win Sunday, or if both Denver and the Patriots lose.

"We know what it takes," said defensive end J.J. Watt, two sacks shy of Michael Strahan's single-season record of 22 1/2. "We're going to get focused, and then we're going to come out there and earn ourselves home-field advantage."

The health of Arian Foster could be a key. He had season lows of 10 carries and 15 yards in a 23-6 loss to the Vikings last Sunday before leaving in the third quarter with an irregular heartbeat.

However, Foster practiced all week, and coach Gary Kubiak said the AFC's second-leading rusher (1,328 yards) will play Sunday.

"I appreciate all the concern and support," Foster tweeted earlier this week. "I am doing well. Saw a cardiologist today and everything is back to normal."

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What I want to see:

Run Arian Run

Look, we have no excuses not to be able to run all over these boys. Our run game needs to get its COOL back. Time to pound the mf'in ROCK in this game. OL needs to FINISH blocks and set Arian up for some massive gains.

JJ, get yo' record, homie

2.5 sacks away from one of the greatest regular season records in NFL history. Destroy this OL and get what's yours, big man!

Better run D this week vs. Indy

Last time we saw these guys, they had a pretty good day on the ground. Let's make Indy one-dimensonal in this one. Stuff their run game, and make Luck throw it, as he is prone to picks.

The Angry Texans

One thing I have noticed all year: When the Texans are ANGRY, they play with some reckless abandon. Guess what needs to happen in this game? Yeah, you get it. All out, actin' a FOOL football.

The Playoffs start NOW!!!!! 1-0 this week. No games, no jokes, no special words, no PLAYING AROUND. LET'S. MUTHA. ****IN'. GO. TEXANS!!!!!

[steelbtexan]

Texans give the Colts a lube job at Lucas Oil Stadium.

HFA thoughout the playoffs= 2 home wins. See Ya in the Crescent City.

Go Texans

[since02]

We need this game more than ever! I was really hoping we could rest starters by now but the way the offense has been struggling, this game is a must win.

We need some momentum going into the playoffs! Go TEXANS!

[thunderkyss]

We're expecting these modern day gladiators to go out there & kick ass for 60 minutes. There's no tomorrow, only today. We expect to see 110% effort from bell to bell. Play without fear take the fight to the enemy... don't let up.

All they expect from us is our support, to stand behind them 100% from bell to bell. There's going to be some bone headed plays. Some bone headed decisions. Some thi ngs we don't agree with, or don't understand.

Lets not allow those to deter our support for our team. 100% guys. For 60 minutes.

[qqert]

we need the offense to come play today.

[TheMatrix31]

Let's get this done and come back to Houston.

[Lurvinator11]

I haven't felt this way since New England in 2009, right before 9-7.

Let's get the Home Field Advantage!

[EllisUnit]

mmmmmmmmmm "Lets get it on"

I will tell you my dedication to my team, due to the hollidays i have to have all my paperwork turned in by 5 PM sunday, so i have not went to bed, i got to work around 11 tonight and will be doing paperwork until about 11AM so i can make it home to watch my texans.

Thankfully the wife and kids are visiting family so i can pass smooth out after a texans victory

[houstonhurricane]

We roll!

[TejasTom]

Am I the only one that can't sleep.

[Thorn]

Well kiddies, it's us and Dolts, togeather again at their place. We need to be rude visitors for a change.

[Nitrofish]

It's Game Day Bitches! Go Texans! Beat The Colts!

[ATXtexanfan]

One of two big games today. Let's hope the Texans don't "no call no show"

[CloakNNNdagger]

2.5 sacks away from one of the greatest regular season records in NFL history. Destroy this OL and get what's yours, big man!

Just a clarification.......he's 2 sacks away from tying Strahan's single season sack record........2.5 would BREAK it.

[bckey]

Lets go Texans! This is no excuse day. Go get Luck JJ. That sack record needs to fall because Strahan didn't earn it on the "Favre fall down".

[NitroGSXR]

I'm up.

[GuerillaBlack]

So mad at Ponder for throwing those balls right when Watt was about to sack him. He should be like a sack away from breaking the record.

[Wolf]

Originally Posted by GuerillaBlack

So mad at Ponder for throwing those balls right when Watt was about to sack him. He should be like a sack away from breaking the record.

And the dolphins, for claiming a play was a running play and four weeks later, the stats guys took a sack away

[rickyb]

What's it going to take to post a W today?
* Establish the run.
* Control the clock, especially in 4Q.
* Confuse and pressure Luck.

Assuming Wade & Co. have been keeping some tricks up their sleeves, and I'm not sure they have, they will have to show some tape to the rest of the league today. We need Luck to be thinking, "What the heck just happened then?", as he runs to the sideline to look at pics and talk to the booth. We also need him to be thinking "Ouch", "Aw, hell, not again", and "Why can't my line keep me upright?" We need to make a professional QB doubt himself. What we don't need is Luck to believe he has a chance at a 4Q comeback drive to win.

Switching to our offense, it's no secret that our O requires a ground game to function. And this running attack leads to our ability to win time of possession.

The analysis is simple. If I know (what I think I know), the Colts know it and game plan for it. So the key to a Texans win will be the ability to impose our will on an opponent who knows exactly what to expect.

[Premier]

i have my sunday alarm set for 11:59... i hate waking up this early on gameday.. these next 3 hours are an eternity..