The upcoming Colts game, 9/11/11

[Arky]

Texans kick off the 2011 season Sunday, Sept 11, 2011 at Reliant with the Colts coming to town. Peyton or no Peyton? Right now, he's doubtful. To the Texans, this should not make any difference. The Texans sorely need W's in this rivalry which has the Colts leading 16-2.

The point spread started off with the Texans as 2 point favorites and has ballooned all the way to 9 on some boards due to P Manning's doubtful status.

TV = CBS (Channel 11 local)
Time = 12 pm CST

Still, Walter of WalterFootball.com likes the Colts to pull off the upset here:

The Colts are going to give 110 percent in this contest, but I can't say the same thing about Houston. The Texans have been looking forward to this game since the NFL schedule was released in April. Without Manning in the equation, Houston won't have the same fire. In fact, I think Manning being out (as opposed to playing injured) really hurts the Texans because now they're expected to win. They are not good in this role, as evidenced by what happens to them late in the year after a hot start.

I'm picking Indianapolis to stun everyone by pulling the upset. This is not a good spot for a choking Houston team.

In order to avoid this, the Texans will need to play like their hair is on fire and start to taking the long-needed steps to change the public's general negative perception. The Colts never apologize for defeating the Texans when an AJ or a Schaub is out and the Texans need to return this attitude in kind.