The Colts were one snap away from another gut-punch loss when Laquon Treadwell changed the whole feel of the afternoon.
With Indianapolis trailing Houston by one and just over 90 seconds left, the offense needed a shot to get Spencer Shrader into realistic game-winning range. That moment could have turned ugly in a hurry, especially after the late disappointment in Kansas City a week earlier. Instead, Daniel Jones and Treadwell connected on the biggest play of the game, and maybe the biggest play the Colts have had all season.
Treadwell’s catch moved Indianapolis into Texans territory and set up the field position Shrader needed to win it. It also snapped a nine-game losing streak. And while Jones deserves credit for stepping up in the pocket and delivering a strong throw, the real beauty of the play was in the setup.
The Colts called a Dagger concept, with Josh Downs running the slot clear-out and Treadwell working the dig route from the outside at about 15 yards. Against Houston’s Cover 3 look, that structure did exactly what Indianapolis wanted.
Downs stretched the deep safety vertically, forcing him to stay honest and preventing him from driving downhill on the dig. That opened the middle of the field for Treadwell once he hit his landmark.
Houston showed one-high before the snap and rotated into what looked like match Cover 3. The free safety stayed extremely deep in the middle, while Lassiter and Stingley took the other deep thirds. Underneath, Blankenship dropped toward the middle on Allen’s side, the nickel widened toward the flats, and the two linebackers who initially showed pressure bailed into hook-curl zones.
By the time Treadwell broke inside, the coverage had stretched itself thin. The deep safety was over the top, the underneath defenders had dropped away, and the flat defender and dropping safety couldn’t close the space in time.
Treadwell settled into the pocket of room at around 15 yards, and that was enough. He didn’t need to create huge separation.
The design had already done the heavy lifting.
Jones had other answers available if Houston had defended it differently. Tyler Warren chipped before releasing underneath, giving Jones a potential safety valve.
Keenan Allen worked a shallow cross or drag from the other side, which would have been useful against man coverage. The running back handled the blitz check first before releasing late if the pocket held.
Jones’ footwork was a little different from a clean textbook drop, too. He used more of a modified sequence, with a drive step, three steps, a small shuffle, then two hitches in the pocket. It wasn’t perfect, but it fit the timing of the play.
That timing mattered because Treadwell isn’t a burner, and a 15-yard dig takes longer to develop with him than it would with Alec Pierce. Jones seemed to account for that, stayed patient and gave the route time to open instead of forcing the ball early.
Once Treadwell settled into the hole between the linebackers and the deep coverage, Jones stepped up and fired. The ball arrived on time, the route hit exactly where it needed to, and the Colts had the answer they needed in the game’s biggest moment.
They didn’t need much more after that. Indianapolis picked up just 10 additional yards over the final minute or so before Shrader came on for the winning kick. Without Treadwell’s 20-yard catch, the Colts likely would have been asking for a much tougher field goal - if they got there at all.
Instead, one well-designed play flipped the final possession. Jones found Treadwell, the Colts moved into range, and Shrader finished the job.
And in a September game that already carried real weight, that mattered. Historically, only around 2.5% of teams that start 0-3 make the playoffs.
At 1-2, that number rises to roughly 25%. That’s a 22.5 percentage-point difference, which tells you how much was hanging on that drive.
One catch doesn’t decide a season by itself, but this one kept the Colts from staring at 0-3 and gave them a much-needed win instead.
In Other News...
Colts Passing Game Just Put Pressure On One New Receiver
Alec Pierce landing on injured reserve because of a heel injury forced the Colts to make a quick adjustment at wide receiver, and Darius Slayton is the latest piece brought in to help keep the passing game moving. The timing is familiar for Slayton, who reunites with Daniel Jones after their years together with the Giants, and he has already spoken about feeling good about that connection while working with wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne.
For Indianapolis, the interest goes beyond simply plugging a roster hole. The Colts need production from a receiver group that has been reshuffled by the injury, and Slaytons arrival adds both familiarity for Jones and another veteran voice in the room. How quickly that translates on the field is the next question, especially as the offense looks for a steadier rhythm and a little more explosiveness from its new-look options. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Passing Breakout Leaves One Big Concern For This Offense
Daniel Jones best passing day of the season came in Week 3, and the ripple effect was easy to see for the Colts. His 235 yards against the Houston Texans gave Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and Tyler Warren a much-needed boost, while Alec Pierces injury and move to injured reserve forced the offense to lean more heavily on that trio in the passing game. For a unit that has been searching for rhythm, the production offered a clearer picture of what this offense can look like when the quarterback is comfortable pushing the ball.
The bigger question now is whether it can last. Pierces absence has already changed the structure of the receiver room, and the Colts do not have a timetable for his return, which means Downs, Allen and Warren may keep carrying a larger load for a while. The Texans game showed the passing attack can be more than just functional, but it also left Indianapolis facing the kind of test every improving offense eventually gets: proving one good day is a start, not a one-off. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Head To London With A Few Costly Problems Still Unsettled
The Colts finally got a win thanks in large part to the defense, but the trip to London arrives with a few offensive questions still hanging around. Against the Texans, Indianapolis showed it can lean on its defense and survive, yet the next step is making the rest of the operation look cleaner against Washington, especially when it comes to finding more reliable downfield pass options and squeezing more out of the offenses formation looks.
There is also a player-by-player element to the cleanup work, with the staff still looking for steadier performances from pieces such as Deion Burks, Jalen Travis and Robbie Gould. Using more 13 personnel is part of the conversation, too, which suggests the Colts are still sorting out how they want to attack from week to week. A win can settle the mood for a day, but it does not erase the list of things that have to be better overseas. [Read more 🡒]