Good question. I would think we root for Indy, since we still play them twice. We don't need as much help from other teams with Indy as we do with NE. We can take care of Indy ourselves.
I go the other way completely. I'd rather lock up the division. We can still take care of Indy 2x as needed if that's what's needed to lock up the #1 seed (already have the inside track vs NE for it). And if Indy is out of it come the end of the season and we don't have it locked up yet, they won't have everything on the line.
BAL and PIT play 2 in the next 3 weeks, something will give. a split is probably the best for us. PIT also has the Cowboys late. The Ravens have the Giants late. Also NE vs Indy this week and we still have a game with them and then they have SF after. DEN is the one that worries me. Their schedule is cake with the exception of TB and BAL.
You can't do much better than have at least a 2 game lead over everyone (over Ravens too due to tie-break) after 9 weeks. How far we have come.
Ironically, for the people who are so scared of DEN, they should be pulling for them to win out. That would give them the other BYE and we wouldn't see them until the AFC Championship game (assuming we get home field throughout).
as pleased as i am with our record, i still don't think we are playing our best ball yet. if this is peaking, we won't win the superbowl. if we get better, which we have the potential to do, look out. what i'm saying is that i don't and the team shouldn't worry about what anybody else is doing or who we have to play.
I'm actually more afraid of the Pats in the playoffs than the Broncos. The Broncos offense just doesn't scare me that much in comparison -- maybe I've just gotten too used to seeing Peyton over the years. But with the way Ridley is playing and having those tight ends i feel would be a bigger challenge to our defense. I think Belichick is pissed off at the world to come up empty the last few years after great seasons, so he is holding back some and saving it for when it counts.
Not worried about other teams right now. I feel like we can beat anybody in the AFC, especially in our house.
It's what I've been telling these fools about "watching other teams" and cheering for other peeps... WTH. :grin: Lest they be asking us to cheer the friggin' Cowgirls that first week of this thread. SHEESH.
i'm rooting for NE. I'd rather have the division locked up first. Assuming we finish with number 1 seed, I want NE, PIT, or BAL to have the second seed. That would mean a possible division winner in DEN could host IND in the WC round. that would be awesome.
Home field is critical. The Texans are in a GREAT position at mid season; however, let's not forget that a 8-8 season is still a mathematical possibility. Hopefully, unlikely, but possible. So is a 10-6 season and other combinations. No let down's, no slumps, no playing down to the competition. The Texans should be beyond all those ghosts of their past. If they aren't, then they will suffer the consequences. But, if they keep it going, they are going to be in control. The path to the Super Bowl is in their view, time to go for it.
Honestly, I'm not really rooting for any one team over another. I feel like the Texans are in a win-win in that game since either team losing can be spun into a positive as far as the overall picture is concerned for the Texans. We just have to take care of our business at this point, and let the chips fall where they may in the rest of the AFC.
This is a very underrated factor. The teams I'm cheering against the hardest are Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Not because I'm afraid of them, but because I'd love for the AFC North winner to be in the No. 4 slot. Neither scares me one bit at Reliant in January. Let the Broncos and Pats end up 2/3 so the soonest we could see Manning or Brady would be the AFC title game (and maybe not even then).
So what's the magic number to clinch the division? It's prob. a given that if we best the colts just once then that should be enough.
I am scared most of the broncos and patriots. They are the only 2 teams with an elite QB. I would like both of those teams to be eliminated by the Steelers or Ravens, we can take both of those teams.
I think we would take care of business against the Broncos but the Patriots are always scary. Good coaching, experience & Brady are extremely formidable - especially in the playoffs.
My perspective is you try and avoid bad match-ups and elite QBs. Based on the current standings Your QBs are Flacco, Manning, Brady, Roethlisberger, and Luck. Obviously you don't want to have to go through both Manning and Brady to get to the SB. As for match-ups, I hate quick tempo and spread you out teams. Playing at home would hopefully slow the opposing offense tempo down a bit but still don't like facing that. Also elite TE's with our current LB core is alarming. All that said I think it's obvious who you try to avoid if at all possible.
The magic number to clinch the division is six. Any combination of wins by the Texans or losses by the Colts that total six means the Texans are AFC South champions. The earliest the Texans could clinch the division is in week 13. They would have to win the next three games and Indy would have to lose the next three games. Indy's next three games: @ New England, vs. Buffalo, @ Detroit Houston's next three games: vs. Jacksonville, @ Detroit (T-giving), @ Tennessee I got to think the New England game will be tough for Indy. Buffalo and Detroit are interesting. They both will have 10 days to prepare for Indy. Having the little extra rest and more time to game plan might be the difference. The Texans next three games are no cupcakes but definitely doable.
