After Sunday's defeat the Texans are focused on the week ahead and next Sunday's game at Jacksonville.
The Colts raced out to a 14-0 advantage Sunday at NRG Stadium and finished with a 31-20 triumph to drop the Texans to 0-2 in 2023. From Head Coach DeMeco Ryans to the players, there are a few different areas of focus for the next six days.
"We can't wait till the second half," Ryans said. "I did see improvement from Game 1 to Game 2 from our offense, but defense took a step back."
The defense allowed 90 rushing yards in the first half and let the Colts convert 6-of-8 third downs. When the first 30 minutes concluded, Houston was staring up at a 28-10 halftime deficit. Defensive end Will Anderson, Jr.—who finished with three tackles and the team's lone quarterback hit on the day—stressed the need to communicate better in the week to come.
"We just got to come back on Monday and make sure that we're all on the same page and everybody's communicating," Anderson said. "I think that's the biggest thing is just communication…and we're getting lined up, having urgency and attacking and doing what Coach asks us to do."
Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 30-of-47 passes for 384 yards with a pair of touchdowns and zero interceptions. He was also sacked six times. While Ryans praised the young signal-caller for doing a "really good job" operating the offense, Stroud still pinpointed areas he wants to improve.
"I've got to be more accurate," Stroud said. "I've got to do more to make the pocket right. And one thing I think we've shown is that we're going to fight, even if it's not pretty. I'm excited to just keep working."
Nico Collins caught seven passes for 146 yards and a score, and is confident some of the problems that held the Texans back Sunday will get corrected this week.
"There's some stuff we can easily work on," Collins said. "Monday, watch that film. Learn from this game and get ready for Jacksonville. New opportunity."
The Jaguars fell to the Chiefs at home, 17-9, and are now 1-1 in 2023. Houston beat Jacksonville at Everbank Stadium last season.
Houston will review the Colts' game on Monday, have Tuesday off, and return to the practice fields at the Houston Methodist Training Center on Wednesday.
