Jonathan Taylor is the kind of problem DeMeco Ryans already has circled.
With the Colts set to meet the Texans in Week 3, the Houston head coach made it clear that Indianapolis’ running back is the player his defense has to account for on every snap. On the Houston Stressens podcast, Ryans put it plainly: "This guy here, man, wherever he touches the ball, like everybody has to be prepared.
He can cut back and make you pay. So, if you're not disciplined backside with JT, he has such great vision to where he's going to find the open hole," Ryans said on the Houston Stressens podcast.
That concern comes with good reason. Taylor has opened the season with four rushing touchdowns, tied with Derrick Henry for the league lead through two weeks.
He still hasn’t gone over 100 rushing yards in a game, but he’s been close each time, finishing within two yards and six yards of that mark in his first two outings. It’s the kind of start that helps explain why the Colts gave him a new deal this summer for two more seasons.
The numbers around him, though, tell a rougher story for Indianapolis. The Colts are 0-2 after a strong showing against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 still ended in a loss. That’s not the start Shane Steichen wanted, especially with Taylor already producing at a high level.
Houston enters the matchup in the same spot record-wise, and the Texans have their own issues to sort out. They’ve dropped their first two games, and Ryans’ defense has been part of the problem.
Buffalo put up 36 points on Houston in Week 1, then Cincinnati scored 20 in Week 2. The Texans’ offense managed only six points in that second loss, which turned a better defensive showing into a 14-point defeat.
There has been one small bright spot for Houston’s defense: it has not yet allowed an opposing running back to reach 100 yards. Taylor has been knocking on that door already, and Sunday gives him another chance to break through.
Week 3 brings the first Colts-Texans meeting of the season, and both teams are still chasing their first win. For Houston, stopping Taylor is the first order of business. For Indianapolis, a home win would not only get the Colts moving in the right direction, it would also push their division rival deeper into an early hole.
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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
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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 🡒]