Five Things Learned: Colts-Texans (2020, Week 13)

[Blue]

» STIFLING SECOND HALF: The second half of last Sunday's game couldn't have been any different than the first half. This time it was both teams' defenses leading the way, and by the time it was all said and done, the Colts had outscored the Texans 2-0 over the final two quarters to earn a 26-20 road victory. Now, to be fair, the Indy offense did have plenty of chances to run away with the game, but some untimely penalties set up some tough situations, while Nyheim Hines was also stuffed on a 4th-and-1 attempt from the Houston 5-yard line with 6:50 left in the game; had the Colts converted that and turned it into a touchdown, it would've been a two-score game. In the end, though, it was the Texans making the blunder of all blunders, as Watson couldn't get a handle on center Nick Martin's low snap on 2nd and Goal from the 2-yard line with 1:28 left in the fourth quarter; defensive tackle Grover Stewart crashed in to ensure the ball squirted away from Watson's grasp, and linebacker Anthony Walker fell on it at the 7-yard line, allowing Rivers & Co. to kneel it out from there. The Colts had just 135 yards of offense in the second half to just 132 for the Texans, who had two turnovers and allowed three Watson sacks, including a safety by defensive end Justin Houston after the failed 4th-and-1 attempt.


» WE MISSED YA: If you need clear evidence of how impactful DeForest Buckner and Denico Autry are to the Colts' defense, or how much of a difference Jonathan Taylor can make for the Indy offense, look no further than last Sunday's game against the Texans. All three were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and missed the Colts' Week 12 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, and Indy struggled mightily in its 45-26 loss at Lucas Oil Stadium. Fast forward one week, and all three players have been moved back to the active roster and are playing huge roles in a big-time road win over the Texans. Defensively, the Colts allowed 449 yards of total offense, including 229 yards on the ground, against the Titans; against the Texans, the Colts allowed 398 yards of total offense, including just 90 on the ground. Buckner had four total tackles (two for a loss) with two sacks and three quarterback hits against the Texans, while Autry added a tackle for a loss. Taylor, meanwhile, picked up where he left off in Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers, when he had 90 rushing yards and 24 receiving yards, and carried it over to the Texans' game; he finished with 135 yards of total offense — 91 on the ground and 44 through the air — and his aforementioned 39-yard touchdown reception. Also making his return to the lineup last Sunday was center Ryan Kelly, who missed the Titans game with a neck injury.