The Houston Texans will be taking on the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card next week. It is clear that head coach Bill O'Brien knows he has his work cut out in the first round of the NFL playoffs.

Both teams managed to trade punches in the 2018 NFL season. According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, O'Brien has tremendous respect for his opponent:

‘We have a great deal of respect for the Colts, the way Frank Reich coaches, Chris Ballard, the way their team plays.'

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It is easy to see why the Colts have garnered so much respect from O'Brien. Not much was expected from Indianapolis coming into the season following a disastrous 2017 campaign. They made substantial changes to their coaching staff and questions were raised about the status of quarterback Andrew Luck amidst a lingering shoulder injury. However, they managed to crush expectations by going 10-6 and earning a trip to the postseason.

O'Brien knows all too well that the Colts are not to be taken lightly. Houston and Indianapolis split the season series at 1-1, and both games were decided by just three points. The Texans have the home-field advantage, but that may not account for much since the visiting team managed to win in their previous two matchups.

Luck is the clear-cut favorite to win the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award following an MVP-caliber year. Furthermore, he also boasts much more playoff experience than his counterpart in quarterback Deshaun Watson. Regardless, it is safe to assume this AFC South showdown will produce one of the darkhorse contenders in the conference.