A look at the highs and lows in the first half of the season for the Houston Texans (3-5) and what to expect in the second half:

Midseason MVP: J.J. Watt. Many teams' plans this season have been to throw everything they can at Watt, and if someone else beats them, so be it. It worked for a lot of the season, but in the Texans' 20-6 win over the Tennessee Titans, Whitney Mercilus became such a problem that the Titans couldn't dedicate as many blockers to Watt, who feasted. He had 2.5 sacks and nine quarterback hits. Watt now is tied for the league lead with 8.5 sacks and is ahead of his 2014 pace in terms of defensive stats.

Best moment: Panthers linebacker Luke Keuchley's interception to stop the Colts in overtime of their Monday night contest. It might not seem like a Texans moment, but it was a big one. That play meant the Texans went into their bye week tied with the Colts for first place in the division. Both teams had 3-5 records at the time, an improbable conclusion to the first half of the season given the way it began for the Texans. It gave them a chance to control their fate. The Colts won Sunday, to pull half a game ahead, but they'll be off this weekend to balance the schedules.

Worst moment: Javis Landry's 50-yard touchdown catch. That pass from Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill had 13 air yards, 37 yards after the catch and 32 of those came after contact. Landry ran through basically the entire Texans' defense, which partially let up because the wide receiver seemed to have stepped out of bounds after initially making the catch. It put the Texans down 14-0 and opened the floodgates in a game that was 41-0 at halftime. The worst part of that play was that it was a defensive breakdown from a talented group that was expected to carry the Texans.

Mark your calendar: The Texans face the Colts on Dec. 20. If they are to make an improbable play for the division title, they'll have to make franchise history and beat the Colts in Indianapolis for the first time ever. In their first meeting, Matt Hasselbeck left the hospital to play and beat the Texans in Houston. Andrew Luck will likely be the quarterback the Texans face the second time, and his health will determine how he'll play.

Key to second half: The Texans' defense hasn't played up to its potential, but that has not been the team's biggest problem this season. Instability on the offense, both from the quarterback position and from various injuries, has been a bigger issue for the Texans and a bigger part of why they began the season 1-4. The Texans' defense is showing signs of improvement. If they can get enough from their offense, they'll show improvement in the second half.