Changing of the guard?

The Houston Texans made a statement yesterday with their 34-24 win over Indianapolis. If you did not see the game, it was not as close as the score. The Colts were dominated up font on both sides of the ball. Now the question is whether or not this win was a fluke. Playing the season out will ultimately answer this question, but history shows there may be a changing of the guard on the horizon. The Texans 1-15 record against the Colts had been well documented, with each game a little more competitive and each loss a little more excruciating. Especially last season when the Texans let one game slip away against Indy and gave away another. While Indianapolis remains the unquestioned king of the afc south, Houston's gradual improvement could spell doom for the Colts. In fact, Indianapolis is standing in the cross hairs of an impending domino effect they were once apart of.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were King of the "then" afc central from 1997-1999 with a talented roster that included Mark Brunell, Fred Taylor, and wide outs Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell who were all in their prime. The Tennessee Titans entered the 1999 season as a virtual unknown team who spent the past three seasons stuck at 8-8. Although the Jaguars finished the season as division champs, the Titans handed them their only three loses of the season including the afc championship game and went on to Super Bowl XXXIV. The Jaguars never recovered and ultimately blew that team up a few seasons later.

Tennessee followed their surprising super bowl appearance by winning the division two of the next three seasons, including the afc south's first division title in 2002. A new division that now included Peyton Manning and the upstart Indianapolis Colts. Indy sported their own talented trio of Manning, running back Edgerrin James, and wide receiver Marvin Harrison. The Colts improved as a team each year, but they could not beat the Titans or win a playoff game from 1999-2002. Questions about Manning's ability to win the big one ran rampant until he ultimately won the division title in 2003. The Colts have not let up since, winning all but one division title six of the past seven seasons. The Titans run came to an abrupt end, and that team was eventually blown up as well.

Which brings us to yesterday's game. The Colts came in as the hunted and the Houston Texans are the new upstart team with the talented trio of Matt Schaub, running back Arian Foster, and wide receiver Andre Johnson. The Texans are looking to turn the corner after posting a mediocre record of 25-23 the past three seasons. The Texans know they must go through Indianapolis to take their turn at the top, and did so in convincing fashion yesterday. Maybe they wanted it more than Indianapolis. Maybe the Colts did not take Houston seriously. Whatever the reason, the gauntlet has officially been laid down and history has an inevitable way of repeating itself.