The Houston Texans have a massive Week 13 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts coming up. After Davis Mills went 3-0, including a primetime win over the Buffalo Bills, the starting quarterback is back. The Texans announced on Friday that CJ Stroud will return from his concussion for the massive AFC South battle.

“Texans HC DeMeco Ryans told reporters that CJ Stroud, who has missed the last three games while in concussion protocol, will start Sunday vs. the Colts,” ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.

The Texans are just two games behind the Colts with two games left to play against their rivals. Despite a squirrley start to the season on offense, the defense has stepped up and brought Houston back into the race. Mills deserves credit as well, with big wins against the Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars keeping them alive.

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Stroud has not found the magic from his rookie season in Year 3. He is averaging fewer yards per game and yards per attempt than he even was in his sluggish sophomore campaign. But the offensive line has taken a step forward in his absence, proving that there is a path to keeping the No. 2 overall pick upright.

The Texans need Stroud to outplay Daniel Jones and bring them a win on Sunday to make noise in the playoff race. According to The Athletic's playoff machine, they currently have a 43% chance of making the playoffs. A win would bring them up to 61%, while a loss would knock them down to 30%. Two losses to Indy would just about require them to run the table.

The Texans have an elite defensive line, Derek Stingley Jr is playing like the best cornerback in football, and now have their starting quarterback back. If they hit their stride down the stretch, the AFC South could be far from over. But a loss on Sunday would go a long way to cementing Indy as the division champs.