Whether they win or lose against Houston on Sunday, the Colts will be the fifth seed in the AFC when the playoffs get underway.
Given that, there’s a question about whether or not the Colts should rest some of their key players in the final game of the regular season. With coach Chuck Pagano handling different questions upon his return to work on Monday, it was up to wide receiver Reggie Wayne to handle queries about the Colts’ approach to the game. Although Wayne spent many years on a team run by Bill Polian, who never met a starter he didn’t want to rest in the final weeks, Wayne isn’t in favor of treating Week 17 any differently than the previous 16.
“We’re too young to rest,” Wayne said, via the Indianapolis Star. “We probably need to put everybody out there and have them continue to play. I don’t think we can afford (to rest). I can’t speak for everybody, but I’m built to play.”
The Colts have never lost to the Texans at home, a streak they can keep alive with a win on Sunday. How much that really impacts things is unclear, but psychological points couldn’t hurt as the Colts and Texans look like the class for the AFC South for at least one more season as the Jaguars and Titans try to put themselves back together. They could score more points at their divisional rival’s expense by knocking them down to the third seed, taking away the bye that seemed like a done deal for Houston just a few weeks ago.