The Colts and Texans both walk into Sunday’s AFC South matchup at 0-2, but the loser isn’t just staring at another mark in the defeat column. With the division off to a rough start, this one could hand the winner a share of the lead by the end of the week.
Indianapolis hosts Houston at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, and the big picture is simple: these teams are still very much alive in the division race, even if neither has found its footing yet.
To get a better read on Houston, ColtsRoundtable checked in with Nick Crain of TexansRoundtable and asked about the Texans from several different angles. The answers painted a picture of a team with real issues, but not necessarily one that’s broken beyond repair.
The first concern on the Houston side is the defense, which has not come close to the standard it set for itself. Crain said the frustrating part is that the problems have looked different from week to week, but two issues have shown up again and again: too little pressure on opposing quarterbacks and too many explosive plays allowed.
That matters because Houston’s defense is built to make passers uncomfortable and let the secondary work off that pressure. When that part of the machine isn’t humming, the entire unit feels the strain.
The offensive line is another area under the microscope after the Texans devoted significant resources to reworking it this offseason. Crain isn’t ready to write it off just yet, though.
He pointed to continuity as a major factor up front and noted that injuries have also played a role in the early struggles. In his view, the group still has time to come together, and he said concern level would rise if the same issues were still there in Week 5 or 6.
A big chunk of the outside criticism has landed on C.J. Stroud, but Crain pushed back on the idea that the quarterback is the main reason Houston is 0-2. Stroud hasn’t been dominant, and the slow start hasn’t helped the conversation around him, but Crain said he has generally taken care of the ball and made consistent plays.
Instead, he pointed to Houston’s trouble finishing drives, a problem that showed up at times last season as well. He also mentioned the surrounding cast, including a receiver group that was already thinned out before the season and a running game that has been wildly inconsistent from week to week.
Asked about players who matter more than their name recognition might suggest, Crain highlighted Dalton Schultz on offense and Jalen Pitre on defense. Schultz gives Stroud a dependable outlet and is one of Houston’s key pass catchers, even if he isn’t usually treated like one of the league’s top-name tight ends. Nico Collins draws the biggest defensive attention, but Schultz showed last week that he can be a real problem too.
Pitre, meanwhile, is central to what Houston wants to do on defense because of his versatility. Even with the unit underperforming so far, Crain said Pitre is one of the pieces that gives the Texans flexibility with coverages, personnel and alignments.
If there’s one area where Crain believes Indianapolis has the edge, it’s on the ground. He called the Colts’ offensive line and run game “really freaking good” and noted that Houston has been vulnerable to runners at times early this season. Jonathan Taylor is the obvious focal point, but Daniel Jones can add damage with his legs as well.
That sets up a major test for a Texans front led by Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and the rest of Houston’s pass-rush group. Crain said that when that unit is getting home, it helps everything else on defense fall into place. But he also believes Indianapolis is well equipped to handle that pressure, and if the Colts can control the line of scrimmage and keep running the ball, Houston’s early defensive problems could follow it into Week 3.
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