DeMeco Ryans Knows Exactly What Texans Need to Beat Colts in Week 3

After now dropping the first two games on their 2026 schedule, the Houston Texans are set to turn the page into Week 3 for their first divisional matchup of the season against the Indianapolis Colts.

It's a matchup that'll be vital for both sides to take advantage of. Each has started the new season off winless through two games and will be eager to get back on the right track in their first AFC South bout of the year.

Even while the Texans have taken care of business against the Colts in recent memory, having won their last five outings against Indianapolis, head coach DeMeco Ryans knows this week won't be a walk in the park. No divisional matchup ever is.

And to lock down the Colts this coming weekend for their first victory of the season, Ryans sees one clear route to making that winning effort become a reality: that's by stopping the Indianapolis run, led by star running back Jonathan Taylor.

What DeMeco Ryans Said About Jonathan Taylor, Colts' Run Game

Ryan’s spoke about Houston's upcoming Week 3 matchup during a recent appearance on Texans Radio, where one of the biggest areas of emphasis leaned on how this defense is going to stop the run.

Knowing that a talent like Jonathan Taylor is on the other side of the football, the centerpiece of the Colts' offense, taking control of the game on Sunday starts with this defense keying in on the run game.

"[Jonathan Taylor] is an all-world running back," Ryans said on Texans Radio. "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."

"So it's, again, it's discipline, run fits, everybody being where they're supposed to be... So, the Colts, always playing them, as long as he's going to be there, the key to victory is always, first and foremost, stopping the run with JT, because he's such a dynamic back."

The Texans know just about as well as anybody just how strong of a runner Taylor is. Even as Houston has taken control of the Colts throughout their past several meetings, it hasn't been without some explosive performances from their running back in the process.

In Taylor's past 10 games against Houston, he's averaged a little over 22 touches for 120-plus all-purpose yards a game, pairing that with 10 total touchdowns in the process. He's shaping up to be an offensive focal point once again this weekend, and if the Texans aren't careful, he could wind up with a pretty eye-catching stat line by the end of it.

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) carries the ball against the Houston Texans during the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So Ryans is well aware that if the Texans are going to control the pace against the Colts, it starts and ends with how they approach defending Taylor.

The good news for Houston is that, two games deep into the season, their run defense has held up pretty well, even when they were up against a talented duo like Josh Allen and James Cook against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.

The Texans' defense ranks sixth in the NFL for rushing yards allowed heading into Week 3 (171, 85.5 per game). If Houston keeps that trend up against Taylor and Co., who might be their toughest test in defending the run yet, there's a good chance that they walk out of the action in Indianapolis with their first win on the schedule.

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