While there have been many moments in 2020 when the Houston Texans have looked like they have a long way to go before they are competing for AFC South titles again, going toe-to-toe twice against the Indianapolis Colts, a likely playoff team, shows they may not need a long-term rebuild.
Two weeks after losing the game after Deshaun Watson fumbled a low snap with the chance to take the lead, the Texans again lost to the Colts in a close game, falling 27-20 to drop to 4-10.
But despite the losing record and lack of resources for a quick improvement, the Texans' performance in the division against two potential playoff teams (one-score losses to the Colts twice and an overtime loss to the Titans in October) shows they could be competing with them again in 2021.