The Colts don’t have to call Sunday a must-win, but the math and the mood are getting awfully close to it.
At 0-2, Indianapolis has already dug itself into a familiar early-season hole, and that makes this Week 3 matchup with the Texans feel bigger than the calendar says it should. The Colts have spent more than a decade stumbling out of the gate in Week 1, so this kind of pressure is hardly new. Still, 2026 has started with the same ugly result: two losses and no margin left to waste.
There is still a path out, at least on paper. Teams that begin 0-3 have about a 2.5% chance to reach the postseason, which means the door is not shut.
It just gets very small, very fast. Indianapolis has a real chance to change the conversation against a Houston team that is also 0-2 and coming in reeling.
If the Colts handle business at home, they could do more than just steady themselves - they could knock a division rival further off course.
The schedule after that offers a little more breathing room, at least potentially. Jayden Daniels’ status for the London game is still up in the air, and that could make that trip much more manageable.
Then comes a road game against Pittsburgh, which means Indianapolis could still come out of the first five weeks at 2-3. That isn’t ideal, but it’s salvageable.
The catch is simple: none of that matters if they don’t win Sunday.
If this season is going to be anything other than a disaster, the Colts have to find a way to beat Houston. The division may be weak enough to keep hope alive, and that makes this game even more important.
They have a shot to take advantage of the Texans’ rough start and put them in a deeper hole. Sunday could be a two for one.
Or it could be the start of something much worse.
In Other News...
Colts Fans Are Split Over Carlie Irsay-Gordons Growing Game Day Role
Carlie Irsay-Gordon has made her game day routine part of the conversation in Indianapolis, often standing on the sideline and taking notes as she works to better understand how the Colts operate. She has spoken publicly about wanting to learn more about football operations since taking over the team, and her hands-on approach has become one of the more visible signs of her ownership.
Not everyone sees it the same way. Some fans and commentators have questioned whether her presence on the sideline is a distraction, while others say the reaction says as much about gender bias as it does about football. The divide has turned a routine part of game day into a larger debate over how owners are expected to act, and who gets the benefit of the doubt when they show up in plain view. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Have A Growing Problem In The Secondary
The Colts went into the season expecting Justin Walley to help stabilize the slot after moving on from Kenny Moore II, but the early returns have been rough. Through two games, Walley has had trouble holding up inside, and the Colts have paid for it with too many completions, too many yards and touchdowns allowed in the area they most need to protect.
Indianapolis is now in the uncomfortable spot of having to sort through alternatives on the fly, with a rotation at the position suddenly looking like a real possibility. For a defense already trying to find its footing, the question is no longer just whether Walley can settle in, but how quickly the Colts can identify a better answer in the middle of the secondary. [Read more 🡒]
Colts 0-2 Start Is Putting The Wrong Unit Under Pressure
The Colts may have found a little rhythm on offense in their second game, but the early-season alarm bells are still ringing in Indianapolis. A 0-2 start always invites scrutiny, and this one has the attention shifting away from the side of the ball that looked better and toward a defense that has not done enough to steady the team.
Shane Steichens group is already hearing the kind of questions that come with an uneven opening stretch, and the pressure is creeping beyond the scoreboard. With the coaching staff and front office both part of the conversation this early, the next stretch feels important not just for the record but for the broader direction of the franchise. [Read more 🡒]