3 Things the Colts Defense Must Accomplish to Defeat the Texans

The Indianapolis Colts defense played well despite losing in their opening game. Now, they have a chance to replicate or improve upon that performance against the Houston Texans.

Last weekend, the Indianapolis Colts dropped their season opener to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the defense would walk away with their heads held high. Gus Bradley’s troops forced two turnovers (interception and fumble recovery, which was returned for a touchdown), two sacks, four quarterback hits, and plenty of pressure on quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

With this all in mind, it’s time to dive into three necessities for the Colts’ defense to notch both their first regular season and AFC South victory of the young 2023 NFL campaign this Sunday against the Houston Texans.

#1) Continued Efficiency from the Defensive Front

While there were great games individually to go around for the defense, it was truly the defenders in the trenches who stood out.

Both sacks would come from end Kwity Paye and tackle DeForest Buckner, but it was a constant and aggressive pursuit of Lawrence that was on display and forced turnovers. The other starting defensive tackle, Grover Stewart, would tally 5 tackles and a tackle for loss.

Other starting end Samson Ebukam didn’t disappoint either in his first game as a Colt, racking up 2 tackles, a tackle for loss, and highly active pressures on both the QB and the running backs.

Even rotational piece Taven Bryan snagged 3 tackles and was a motor on the interior. One player who didn’t have huge numbers outside of a batted pass was edge Dayo Odeyingbo. However, look for him to start gaining more momentum.

The standing of star left tackle Laremy Tunsil will also drastically impact the Colts’ chances of getting into the backfield for disruptions and sacks, as he’s currently listed as questionable with a knee injury. If he plays, he’s one of the best at the position in the league. If he doesn’t, it could make life rough for the Texans and easier for the Colts’ defensive front.

This is the most talented bunch on the Colts’ defense, so they will need to put forth the same effort to derail the Texans’ offense into an 0-2 start.

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#2) Contain Dameon Pierce

Second-year RB Dameon Pierce did not have a great game against the Baltimore Ravens (11 carries for 38 yards and 2 catches for 9 yards). However, Pierce is still a solid offensive playmaker who will punish defenses that aren’t in sync with a game plan.

Last year, Pierce had a great rookie campaign, totaling 939 rushing yards on 220 carries (4.3 avg) and 4 scores. He’d also throw in 30 catches for 165 receiving yards and a touchdown reception.

While the Texans are still working out their offensive line issues, Pierce shouldn’t be overlooked by any NFL team. It will take another good showing from the Colts’ linebacker group to contain the powerful ball carrier. Zaire Franklin, E.J. Speed, and Shaq Leonard will have their work cut out for them on Sunday, and rest assured that Pierce will look to bounce back against Indianapolis at home.

#3) Don’t Underestimate the Texans’ Wide Receivers

The Texans don’t possess a wide receiver with an NFL household name. However, this shouldn’t creep into the mind of any defender for Indianapolis. Since the departure of Brandin Cooks (to the Dallas Cowboys), Nico Collins, Robert Woods, and rookie Tank Dell are capable pass-catchers who can take any secondary by surprise.

Just last week, Collins had 6 catches (11 targets) for 80 yards, and Woods had 6 catches for 57 yards (10 targets). Rookie QB C.J. Stroud would throw 44 total passes, but nearly half of them would go to Collins and Woods. Also, 12 of the 28 completions went to this duo.

There is a chance that Stroud could miss the game having the questionable tag due to a shoulder injury, it also shouldn’t alter the Colts’ gameplan of making sure these receivers don’t build momentum.

Cornerbacks Kenny Moore II, Dallis Flowers, Darrell Baker Jr., and the now-healthy JuJu Brents will need to be on point. The same goes for safeties Julian Blackmon, Rodney Thomas II, and Nick Cross.

Keeping any NFL team off-rhythm increases the chances for victory. But, this is especially for a rookie like Stroud, who’s still finding his feet. If he doesn’t play, then the Colts will face Davis Mills, who still can give Indianapolis issues throwing from the pocket and has in past seasons.

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