The Colts added Darius Slayton this week, and the veteran receiver wasted no time explaining why the move made sense for him. With Alec Pierce landing on injured reserve because of a heel injury, Slayton saw a path to immediate work in Indianapolis - even if he made it clear he wasn’t celebrating the circumstances.
“Sunday night they they didn’t get the win, but I feel like they played really well,” Slayton said, via JJ Stankevitz of the team’s site. “They’re a good unit.
I saw that Pierce went down - obviously, I wasn’t cheering for that. But I knew that kind of would provide some opportunity here as well.”
Slayton is back with Daniel Jones after spending five years with him in New York, and he said the fit already feels familiar. He described their connection as natural and said the two see the game in a similar way.
“Really enjoyed playing alongside him,” Slayton said. “He’s a good quarterback.
He’s smart. He can spin it.
Philosophically, I think we see the field pretty similarly, and that’s something that worked well for us in the past. And I expect it to work well for us going forward.”
He’s also been leaning on Reggie Wayne, the Colts’ wide receivers coach and a former All-Pro, as he works to get up to speed. Slayton said he has already spent plenty of time around Wayne and expects that to continue.
“Coach Wayne’s probably sick of me already,” Slayton said. “I was with him last night, I was with him again this morning and I’ll probably be with him again tonight. We’ll be spending a lot of time together over the next few days, but that’s kind of the best way for me to close the gap, is to try to absorb as much information as I can.”
For Houston, Sunday’s loss pushed the Texans to 0-3, and the offense has stalled badly. They’ve managed just 23 points over their last two games, and C.J.
Stroud said the problem isn’t coming from one place. What he does know is that the Texans need more explosive plays.
“Honestly, it could be a Rolodex of things. I can’t really pinpoint it,” Stroud said, via the Texans Wire.
“I’ve got to watch the tape, but I just think we’ve got to be aggressive. We can’t just wait to the end.
But I believe that we can - if we find ways to generate more explosives and flip the field or just find points, like those are the type of games that we need to win. But you know, I thought we fought.
But at the same time, I think there’s a lot of things that need to be fixed.”
Stroud said he still believes the Texans can straighten things out, especially as injured players return and the group gets cleaner in practice. Even with the 0-3 start, he said he hasn’t lost confidence in where this team can go.
“Yeah, I think the pieces, of course. Like we’re making plays, but it’s - we’re getting guys back from injury.
I think that’ll help, but I also think just like the fight that I see with our team. I believe we’re not far, but also it doesn’t feel that way because we’re 0-3.
But I think for me, I have the utmost confidence. You can call me crazy.
I don’t really care. But we’ve been here before, and I think this is sadly something that we can learn from what we did in the past and do even better than last time.
That’ll be the goal.”
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Keenan Allen Just Delivered The Colts Moment Fans Desperately Needed
After a rough start to the 2026 season, the Colts finally gave their fans something to exhale about with a win over the Houston Texans that snapped a nine-game losing streak. Indianapolis got contributions across the board, with the offense, defense and special teams all playing a role in a much-needed breakthrough. Daniel Jones, Jonathan Taylor and Tyler Warren helped steady the attack, while Adetomiwa Adebawore and Spencer Shrader also had their moments in a performance that looked a lot more like the version of this team the Colts had been waiting to see.
Keenan Allen was right in the middle of it, too, making an immediate mark with his first touchdown as a Colt while also moving past Andre Johnson for 12th place on the NFL's all-time receptions list. For a team that had gone far too long without a win, it was the kind of night that could matter beyond the standings, giving Indianapolis a little momentum and a reminder that there is still enough talent here to change the tone of a season. [Read more 🡒]