HOUSTON -- The Indianapolis Colts are doing the right thing by sitting quarterback Andrew Luck against the Houston Texans on Thursday.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported Thursday morning that the Colts plan to sit Luck, who is dealing with a right shoulder injury, and start veteran Matt Hasselbeck.

Here's why the Colts are making a smart decision to sit Luck for the second straight game.

1. Health. Texans All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt and an injured shoulder don't go well together. Watt has sacked Luck eight times in six games. The Texans have blitzed quarterbacks on 52.4 percent of their dropbacks this season. Luck has completed only 47.4 percent of passes against the blitz this season. He has thrown four interceptions and been sacked four times when blitzed. The Texans are desperate for a victory after being embarrassed by Atlanta in Week 4. Combine those things with the Colts' poor offensive line and that would have been a recipe for potential disaster for Luck.

2. The AFC South. The Colts don't play in the AFC East or NFC North, where every game counts to keep pace with unbeaten teams such as New England and Green Bay. The AFC South is considered one of the worst divisions in the NFL. Losing one game in a division in which they've won 15 straight games wouldn't kill the Colts' chances of still winning it.

3. Veteran backup. Hasselbeck proved he can still be effective when he led the Colts to a 16-13 overtime victory over Jacksonville in Week 4. Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton made a lot of calls to allow the 40-year-old Hasselbeck to get rid of the ball quickly. Eighteen of Hasselbeck's 30 completions were for 5 yards or shorter. Expect a similar approach against the Texans in an attempt to keep the pressure off Hasselbeck. The only question with Hasselbeck is his health. Schefter also reported Thursday that Hasselbeck was in the emergency room until 2 a.m. Tuesday because of a virus.