The Colts and Texans are both dealing with real injury problems heading into Sunday, but the receiver absences are the ones that jump off the page.
Indianapolis has already ruled out Alec Pierce, who will be placed on Injured Reserve because of a heel injury, and Ashton Dulin, who is out with an ankle issue. That leaves the Colts without two of their most proven vertical threats and puts more pressure on the rest of the passing game.
On the Houston side, Nico Collins will miss a second straight game with a hamstring injury. The Texans also ruled out Jadeveon Clowney, Jake Hummel, Ed Ingram and M.J. Stewart.
For the Colts, the good news is that the rest of the report is relatively clean. Charvarius Ward Sr. is the only player listed as questionable after working his way up from limited participation earlier in the week. If he can’t play, Justin Walley would likely move outside from nickel, with Cam Taylor-Britt stepping into Walley’s inside role.
There’s also a path for Indianapolis to replace some of the downfield threat lost with Pierce and Dulin. Rookie Deion Burks could be asked to stretch the field, and the Colts could also elevate Nick Westbrook-Ikhine from the practice squad. He has made a habit of beating defenses deep throughout his career.
Here’s how the week unfolded for Indianapolis. On Wednesday, Ashton Dulin, Alec Pierce and Charvarius Ward Sr. did not participate, while Keenan Allen and Jonathan Taylor were limited because of rest. Sauce Gardner, Matt Goncalves and Laquon Treadwell were full participants.
Thursday brought more of the same for the Colts, with Dulin and Pierce still out and Grover Stewart resting. Ward moved up to limited, while Allen, Gardner, Goncalves, Taylor and Treadwell were full participants.
By Friday, DeForest Buckner had been added to the rest list, but the important updates were Pierce and Dulin remaining out and Ward returning to full participation before being listed questionable.
Houston’s report was less forgiving. Trent Brown was limited on Wednesday with knee and wrist issues, while Jadeveon Clowney, Nico Collins, Jake Hummel, Ed Ingram and Dalton Schultz did not participate.
Will Anderson Jr., Logan Hall and M.J. Stewart were limited, and Reed Blankenship and Wade Woodaz were full participants.
On Thursday, Clowney, Collins, Jacob Hummel, Ingram and Stewart were still out, Brown remained limited, and Blankenship, Hall and Woodaz were full. By Friday, the Texans had ruled out Clowney, Collins, Hummel, Ingram and Stewart.
Ingram’s absence and Brown’s status matter a lot for a Houston offensive line that has already been under siege, allowing seven sacks through two games while the running backs are averaging just 2.8 yards per carry. If Brown can’t go, Blake Fisher would be the backup right tackle. Ingram, meanwhile, played nearly 80 snaps for Houston in Week 1.
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Seth McGowan could see a bigger role if the Colts are looking for a fresh spark, while Justin Walley has a chance to show he belongs as a starter in a game that will demand sharp coverage. Keenan Allen, meanwhile, is one of the more proven pieces on the roster, but Indianapolis needs more from him than name value if it is going to keep pace in Houston. [Read more 🡒]