The Colts and Texans both walk into Sunday still searching for their first win, and Lucas Oil Stadium is set for a Week 3 matchup that feels like a pressure test for both sides.
Indianapolis is trying to shake off an 0-2 start, while Houston comes in just as desperate after opening the year without a victory of its own. The Texans have built a reputation as a playoff-caliber team in recent years thanks to a strong defense, but that edge hasn’t shown up the way they wanted early in 2026. Injuries only make the task tougher.
The ColtsRoundtable staff split on how this one plays out.
Jake Arthur sees a narrow Texans win, 26-24, and points straight at the Colts’ defense as the biggest reason for concern. Indianapolis has already given up more than 500 yards in each of its first two games, and while C.J.
Stroud isn’t Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes, Arthur notes that Stroud has a 5-1 career record against the Colts. He also sees Houston’s pass rush as a major factor, with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter headlining a group that can make life miserable for the Colts’ offense.
Arthur expects Nico Collins’ absence to help Indianapolis on defense, but he also flagged the Colts’ own issues, including Alec Pierce being out and Tyler Warren still not breaking containment in 2026.
Zach Hicks has a different read, taking the Colts 22-20 in a game he expects to stay tight until the end. He described the matchup as two playoff hopefuls “limp[ing] into this game with their seasons on the brink after 0-2 starts.”
On offense, Hicks thinks Indianapolis can find some traction with Josh Downs moving the chains and Jonathan Taylor working between the tackles, though he also expects explosive plays to be hard to come by against Houston’s defense. Without Collins, Hicks said the Texans are “a shell of their typical selves,” and he sees the game swinging on whether Houston can lean on the run or whether the Colts’ defense can finally stop the bleeding.
However it unfolds, Hicks expects a back-and-forth game that won’t be decided until the final minutes.
One way or another, both teams have a chance to leave with their first win of the season.
In Other News...
Spencer Shrader Fought Through More Than Colts Fans Realized
Spencer Shrader gave Colts fans a performance worth remembering, drilling four field goals from 39, 58, 37, and 53 yards in a single game while carrying an injury he picked up during warmups. It was the kind of quiet, steady day that can change the shape of a game, and it also offered a reminder that kickers often spend just as much time managing pain and pressure as they do putting points on the board.
Shrader spoke about the mental side of kicking and the path that brought him here, including growing up near the Colts and working his way to the NFL. For Indianapolis, that background adds another layer to what looked like a clean outing on the scoreboard, because it turns out the success came with more behind-the-scenes grit than many in the stadium realized. [Read more 🡒]
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Colts May Have Found A Defensive Answer At The Perfect Time
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The Colts are 1-2, and the schedule ahead figures to keep testing them in different ways, from offenses built on the pass to groups that lean on a more varied attack. Adebawores development, and the likelihood that his role keeps growing, gives Indianapolis a useful piece at exactly the right moment. If he keeps affecting quarterbacks the way he did last week, the Colts may have found a defensive spark they can lean on. [Read more 🡒]