INDIANAPOLIS --- Getting released by the Houston Texans in March wasn't easy for Andre Johnson, but that's to be expected after spending the first 12 years of your career in the same place. Now as fate would have it, Johnson's first season with the Colts comes down to a make-or-break showdown with his former team.
Win, and the Colts are one more win or one Texans loss away from clinching the division. Lose, and Johnson's former team has a stranglehold on the division.
"Nah, you never think that. It's just kind of crazy how things happen," smiled Johnson, when asked Friday if he ever imagined this season would come down to this type of game against Houston. "At the same time, we still have a great opportunity...We are still in control of our destiny."
Johnson's first game against Houston came week 5 back in the stadium he spent half of each season for a dozen years. Some Texans fans surprisingly booed him, one of the best players in franchise history. By the end of the game, Johnson made them miss him, scoring his first two touchdowns in a Colts uniform to go along with six receptions for 77 yards en route to a 27-20 win.
"I just didn't know what to expect," said Johnson about what he remembers about his emotions going into that first game against the Texans. "When I got there, I felt at home. I played there for 12 years. I was just on a different sideline."
And the man who is 10th all-time in receiving yards, needing just 17 yards to reach 14,000 for his career, doesn't think much will change in his approach to a 2nd game against Houston.
"I don't think anything will be different for this game," said Johnson about Sunday's re-match. "I think once you go through it for the first time, then you know how to handle it. Guys are focused. We're ready to go. Just looking forward to Sunday."
It's one of the more intriguing storylines going into what is a must win game for all intents and purposes.
