COLTS BLANK TEXANS
11 observations from the Texans' 31-0 loss to the Colts
Dec 5, 2021, 3:56 pm
COLTS BLANK TEXANS
The Houston Texans made a switch at quarterback during the game but nothing mattered as the offense sputtered in the team’s tenth loss. The Colts completed the season sweep with a 31-0 victory over the Texans. Here are 11 observations from the game.
1. Zach Cunningham was benched for the game due to disciplinary reasons according to various reports. David Culley declined to discuss the benching. It was the second time this season for Cunningham to be benched, having previously missed a quarter as a punishment. This comes one week after Justin Reid was benched for disciplinary reasons.
2. Tyrod Taylor threw an interception on the first play of the game. The Colts had to challenge, but it was reversed and ruled an interception. Taylor has been bad since he returned from injury.
3. Tyrod Taylor completed zero passes to wide receivers and failed to move the offense into Colts territory. Taylor was shaken up but cleared to return.
4. Davis Mills replaced Taylor at quarterback. He was marginally better. Mills clearly has some rust to knock off. He was able to complete a pass to a wideout as well as get the Texans past midfield.
5. Davis Mills has a little more ability to escape pressure than Tyrod Taylor it seems. He had a few defenders slip off him and he ran away from pressure well. Taylor today ran the Texans into some big sacks.
6. The offensive line is still average on a good snap and well below average on a regular basis.
7. It was the first time in franchise history the Texans were shut out at home. The team really didn’t come close to scoring.
8. The Texans have now scored less than 10 points in six games. Houston has scored less than six on four occasions this season. Head Coach David Culley said they would evaluate the entire team going forward when it came to trying to improve their performances.
9. Kamu Grugier-Hill set the team’s single-game record for tackles finishing with 19. He set the record on an 11-yard gain by the Colts.
10. Lovie Smith’s defense bent a little early but didn’t totally break. The offense helped them none, and they’re a lightly talented group. Yet another week when I come away impressed with a portion of Lovie Smith’s defense’s day.
11. A bright spot for the Texans today as the Lions won in Detroit. Houston still remains in the second spot in the draft order for now but is likely to “win” the tiebreaker if the two teams finish with the same amount of wins.
The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!