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    Captain Comeback

    Reggie Wayne challenges the Colts — and Andrew Luck responds by going legend

    MoiseKapenda Bower
    MoiseKapenda Bower
    Nov 4, 2013 | 7:08 am

    Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck chose his words judiciously, exercising great caution to show the proper respect for an absent and venerated veteran while simultaneously acknowledging the time-honored NFL tradition of soldering on without making excuses.

    Reggie Wayne was gone, and while he did walk through the doors of the Colts' team hotel on Saturday night, he had his streak of 189 consecutive games played snapped on Sunday by the torn ACL he suffered two weeks earlier against the Denver Broncos. Wayne is destined to have his bust placed inside the Hall of Fame in Canton, having labored celebrated years working in concert with Peyton Manning before serving as the security blanket for Luck while Luck made inroads in the league as a ballyhooed rookie last season.

    Contributors like Wayne aren't quickly forgotten or easily substituted, but with the Colts eyeing a return atop the AFC South pecking order, replacing Wayne was part of the process to bring those aspirations to fruition.

    Wayne did what the revered do in times of need. He huddled his position group together at halftime and challenged someone, anyone, to make a play in his absence.

    They took their first step toward accomplishing those dual goals on Sunday night at Reliant Stadium, rallying past the Houston Texans 27-24 with Wayne sidelined and Luck masterfully executing in the fourth quarter like he had done many times previously. When Luck was pressed to explain precisely how the Colts managed such a feat, exactly why they were able to thrive with one of the greatest receivers in their illustrious franchise history unavailable, the quarterback was as measured in his response as he was in dismantling the Texans down the stretch.

    "I don't want to over blow it. (Wayne's) not there but it's football," Luck said. "You know, guys get hurt and you've got to get through it. We'll never make an excuse, 'Oh, you know, because he wasn't here we couldn't do this.' Whether it's Vick Ballard or Donald Thomas or Dwayne (Allen), you know, it's always next man up.

    "I don't want to over blow it, and again that's not disrespect to Reggie, his quality of play and what he does obviously. But you can't look at it from that perspective."

    Perhaps the Colts weren't focused on who they didn't have, but their sluggish first-half performance gave credence to the notion that Wayne was missed. The Colts entered the weekend ranked sixth in the NFL in third-down conversion rate yet went 0-for-6 on third downs in the first half. While the Texans extended to a 21-3 halftime lead, Luck posted a 46.5 passer rating and completed just 3 of 12 attempts for 56 yards. Receiver T.Y. Hilton, the pick to click with Wayne watching helplessly from the sideline, had one catch for six yards before the break.

    Then Wayne did what the revered do in times of need. He huddled his position group together at halftime and challenged someone, anyone, to make a play in his absence. Wayne has skins on the wall — 1,006 receptions for 13,566 yards and 80 touchdowns to be precise — so his words carry significant weight. Duly inspired, the receivers embraced the task of filling the void.

    Hilton was particularly sensational, posting six receptions for 115 yards and touchdowns of 10, 58 and nine yards in the second half. Hilton had excelled in producing countless big plays while Wayne did the dirty work helping move the chains down the field, but the Texans failed to keep Hilton in check even without Wayne around to provide complementary contributions.

    There was a standard of excellence Wayne set that his position group felt compelled to match. It was wise for Wayne to show his face on Saturday, to prod his teammates on Sunday night.

    "It was kind of strange without him, but we knew we had to step up and make a play," Hilton said. "We came back in (the locker room at halftime) and 87 got after us. He said, 'Somebody in this group has got to make a play,' And I looked him in the eye and said, 'We've got to make a play someway, somehow.' And that's what we did."

    The Clutch QB

    Luck, of course, has grown accustomed to making such plays under duress. At some point his ability to lift the Colts from the jaws of defeat will shift from narrative to non-fiction, with his performance against the Texans further cementing his legacy as an unflinching signal caller adept at thriving under pressure and ratcheting up his productivity when the need is most dire.

    His tenacity was as valuable as his touch. There is something intangible about the ability to consistently lead when the stress level is most extreme, and Luck possesses that trait. Afterward, after posting a 114.4 passer rating in the second half against the same defense that had him confounded in the first, Luck repeatedly acknowledged that the Texans were "beating our butts" yet expressed the sort of poise reflective of someone that doesn't take such whippings as destructive. When the Colts needed to mount the comeback, Luck was calm and prepared to do so.

    There is something intangible about the ability to consistently lead when the stress level is most extreme, and Luck possesses that trait.

    At this stage no one should be surprised that Luck engineered this spirited rally with heady play and breathtaking accuracy. The only noteworthy footnote to this comeback was that Wayne wasn't a part of it.

    If the Colts took their first step to reclaiming superiority in the AFC South by merely making the playoffs last season, they took a giant leap forward by dispatching the Texans without Wayne there to lead the way.

    For Texans fans so familiar with Wayne and his memorable exploits both in Indianapolis and at Reliant Stadium, the Colts' growth without him certainly resonates and portends to a future where Luck and any assortment of capable receivers will be sufficient enough to ride roughshod over this division for seasons to come.

    "You do have to make adjustments when you don't have a player of Reggie's caliber out there," Luck said. "But I thought DHB (Darrius Heyward-Bey), T.Y., obviously, LaVon (Brazill) and David Reed did a heck of a job filling up that wideout role. (Coby) Fleener did a heck of a job; running backs did a heck of a job.

    "We missed him, of course we missed him; it's Reg. Our story is going to involve him not playing this year, so I think our guys did a great job stepping up."

    T.Y. Hilton tormented the Houston Texans in the second half after being challenged by Reggie Wayne.

    T.Y. Hilton Colts Texans
      
    Photo by Michelle Watson CultureMap Snap
    T.Y. Hilton tormented the Houston Texans in the second half after being challenged by Reggie Wayne.
    unspecified
    series/htx-super-season-2013
    news/sports

    O'Brien Talks Tough

    Tough new sheriff: Bill O'Brien sounds like the anti Kubiak, vows to be hard on Texans players

    Chris Baldwin
    Jan 3, 2014 | 1:43 pm
    Tough new sheriff: Bill O'Brien sounds like the anti Kubiak, vows to be hard on Texans players
    Photo by Rob Carr Getty Images
    Bill O'Brien admits he missed the NFL.

    Bill O'Brien certainly hasn't walked timidly into his new job as the head coach/franchise savior of the Houston Texans.

    With large posters of J.J. Watt and Andre Johnson flanking him on either side of an elaborate press conference stage, O'Brien didn't pay homage as much as he demanded a new standard.

    "To me it's about accountability," O'Brien said. "It's about demanding. It's about putting together a fast, physical football team."

    In other words, Mr. Nice Guy went out the window with former Texans coach Gary Kubiak. O'Brien mentioned "accountability" and "demanding" several times in his introductory press conference Friday afternoon at Reliant Stadium. And you can bet the chorus sounded like sweet music to Texans owner Bob McNair.

    CultureMap was the first news outlet anywhere to report that O'Brien was the Texans' top choice to be the team's new coach way back on Dec. 18. This was a McNair driven pick from the beginning and it is the 44-year-old O'Brien's toughness that drew the owner to the former Penn State coach and Bill Belichick assistant.

    "To me it's about accountability. It's about demanding."

    And McNair himself certainly talked tough on introduction day.

    "I'm ready to kick 2013 the hell out the door," McNair said. "Not acceptable. Not what we're going to do in the future."

    McNair went on to talk about O'Brien having shown he's willing to make the hard decisions — something he clearly felt was lacking as the Texans spiraled from Super Bowl schemers into a 2-14 death march in 2013.

    "Some coaches who have been players still think of themselves as players rather than the head of an organization," McNair said. "And have trouble making difficult decisions."

    Kubiak, of course, played quarterback for the Denver Broncos. As for an inability to make tough calls? Just look at how long Kubiak stuck with a flat-lined Matt Schaub and how he kept trying to go back to Schaub even after the Case Keenum call was made.

    O'Brien noted that "there are a lot of good football players on this team." He also declined to take any pressure off himself and describe this makeover of a team with the worst record in the NFL as a rebuilding job.

    "There are a lot of pieces in place here," he said. "It's all about hard work . . . Quick turnaround, rebuilding are labels. I'm not into all that."

    Tom Brady Tough?

    All in all, it's an impressive opening performance for a first-time NFL head coach. O'Brien knows how to command the stage. Texans general manager Rick Smith talked about the new coach's "charisma."

    O'Brien even makes sure to work in the obligatory Texas joke about the cowboy life.

    "Right after this, I'm going to go out and buy my first pair of cowboy boots," he said.

    It's already becoming clear there will be one cowboy in charge of these Texans. One who happens to be a hard-nosed Northeast guy who's probably still most famous for getting into a sideline screaming match with New England Patriots golden boy quarterback Tom Brady.

    "I'm ready to kick 2013 the hell out the door."

    O'Brien downplayed the incident, but it's clearly helped burnish his taskmaster image.

    "You know it's a competitive sports," O'Brien said. "Tom Brady's a great friend. These things happen. The thing that people don't understand is that 30 seconds after it was over, we were sitting together and going over pictures (of game action)."

    The Texans players are clearly intrigued by O'Brien. Veteran center Chris Myers sat amongst the press at the stadium and listened to the new head man.

    There will be a lot more change coming to the stadium. Smith hinted at as much when he noted how the Texans needed a coach who can guide young players.

    It's hard to imagine O'Brien tip toeing around that change. He plans to meet with all the remaining Texans coaches Saturday (as with any head coaching change, it's unlikely many of the current assistants will be kept by O'Brien). He'll tackle the quarterback question later, though it's clear Keenum is still in the picture.

    Almost every new NFL head coach sounds good on introduction day. Especially when the team brings out a marching band for the occasion. But O'Brien sounds tough and no nonsense.

    Just what Bob McNair wanted. This is his call. His makeover. His tough guy.

    Bill O'Brien will not call the Houston Texans a rebuilding team.

    Bill O'Brien presser
      
    Photo by Scott Halleran Getty Images
    Bill O'Brien will not call the Houston Texans a rebuilding team.
    unspecified
    series/htx-super-season-2013
    news/sports
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