The Colts don’t have the luxury of easing into Week 3. After an 0-2 start, a nine-game skid that stretches back to last season, and the memory of being 8-2 not long ago, Indianapolis heads into a divisional matchup that already feels heavy with pressure.
Houston is waiting, and the Texans are also 0-2. Even so, the tension around the two teams doesn’t feel equal.
DeMeco Ryans may be feeling heat, but Shane Steichen is the one with the hotter seat. That makes this the kind of game where Indianapolis has to find a clear edge and press it hard.
For the Colts, that edge should be Reed Blankenship.
The Texans came into the year with a reputation for fielding one of the league’s most physical, most dangerous defenses. Through two weeks, though, Blankenship has become the weak link opponents are circling.
He has allowed nine catches on nine targets for 149 yards, two touchdowns, and an opposing passer rating of 158.3. One of those scores came late in the third quarter in Week 2, the kind of play that effectively shut the door.
The problems go beyond the box score. Blankenship has been late recognizing routes, beaten for 59 yards after the catch, and exposed by both quick wideouts and tight ends who can hold their ground. Pro Football Focus has him ranked 79th among 85 eligible strong safeties, with a 38.9 grade that tells the story pretty clearly.
That opens the door for Tayler Warren, Jonathan Taylor, and Josh Downs. Houston leans heavily on zone, but Steichen’s passing game should be able to work the spaces between the numbers when Blankenship is on the field.
Warren’s size and power give him an obvious advantage against a safety who can tackle but doesn’t have the frame to match up physically. Taylor and Downs bring the kind of quickness and craft that can stress a defender who reacts slowly and looks hesitant once the ball is in the air.
And this isn’t just a two-week blip. Blankenship dealt with the same kinds of issues in the final two years of his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. His 2023 breakout now looks more and more like the exception rather than the rule.
Houston handed him a three-year, $24.75 million contract hoping his tackling and run support would add another layer to a defense already viewed as elite. Instead, he’s been the player offenses target first. That has to be the Colts’ plan too.
Indianapolis may be 0-2, but the defense has been better than the record suggests and has improved from one week to the next. In a divisional game like this, that matters. And if the Colts can take advantage of the Texans’ one glaring defensive weakness, it could be enough to give Steichen and his team a little breathing room.
In Other News...
Colts Injury Report Brings Relief With One Big Texans Concern Still Looming
The Colts got a little clarity on the injury front this week as they and the Texans worked through practice ahead of Sundays matchup. Indianapolis still has its own health questions, with several players showing up as limited or not practicing, including wide receivers Ashton Dulin and Alec Pierce, and Pierce is expected to land on injured reserve.
Houston, though, has its own issue that could matter just as much for the game plan. The Texans report included key names such as tackle Trent Brown and receiver Nico Collins, with both listed among the players dealing with injuries, and that leaves one of the bigger concerns in the matchup still hanging over the week. [Read more 🡒]
Colts May Get A Huge Defensive Boost For Must Win Texans Test
The Colts are getting some encouraging signs on the defensive side as they prepare for a Week 3 showdown with the Texans. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, who has been dealing with a groin injury, is trending toward being available for the matchup, a development that would matter plenty for an Indianapolis secondary facing a pivotal early-season test.
Wards status is still the main item to watch, especially with his recent concussion history from last season lingering in the background. Indianapolis has already ruled out wide receiver Ashton Dulin for the game, so any boost from Ward would help balance out what the Colts can bring to a must-win division battle in Houston. [Read more 🡒]
Sauce Gardners Colts Start Has Brought More Heat Than Answers
Sauce Gardner arrived in Indianapolis with the sort of rsum that usually comes with instant credibility, and he has tried to bring that same edge to the Colts secondary. A two-time first-team All-Pro and the 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Gardner has already stepped into a leadership role since the trade from the Jets, even as the broader results have been uneven and the team has dropped to 1-3 with him in the building.
Justin Walley has been asked to fill in at nickel corner in Gardners absence, and the rookie has been getting thrown into the kind of reps that can speed up development whether the day goes cleanly or not. It has been a useful stretch for the Colts to see what they have behind their headline addition, but it also underscores the larger question hanging over the move: when Gardner is on the field, how quickly can this start turn from intrigue into the kind of impact Indianapolis expected? [Read more 🡒]