The Texans (5-2) return home in Week 8 to host the Colts (4-3). These two teams opened the season against each other at Lucas Oil Stadium, as Houston was triumphant in Week 1, 29-27. The Texans fell on the road last Sunday to Green Bay, while Indianapolis has won its last two games, and four its last five. Here are five things to watch when they kick off at Noon CT inside NRG Stadium on Sunday.
1) Bound for a rebound – The Texans have been excellent under Head Coach DeMeco Ryans after a loss.
Only once, in Week 2 of 2023, have the Texans followed a defeat with another loss. Aside from that L in September of last year, Houston's won the seven other games following a defeat.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud, in those games after losses, has averaged better than 300 passing yards per game.
Stroud has also been excellent against AFC South rivals. In the past seven divisional games, he hasn't thrown an interception, and he's tossed 13 touchdowns. In three games against the Colts, he's thrown six scoring passes and zero picks, and has a 114.9 passer rating.
Stroud explained what he saw after reviewing the game film of the first meeting this season with Indianapolis.
"When you rewatch the tape over and just see some of the things you left on the field, also the things you can clean up," Stroud said. "They are a new team. They are playing really well, they just came off of a hard-fought win against Miami so we have to be on our A game and handle business."
2) Protection Plus – In last week's loss to the Packers, Stroud was under duress far too often. The second-year signal caller was dropped for a sack four times, with three of those coming on third downs. He was also hit seven times, and ran five times. Head Coach DeMeco Ryans wants better protection for Stroud, and is confident he'll see that this week.
"That's the encouraging part about it: all of it is fixable," Ryans said. "Our guys have picked up these stunts and different things that we have seen, our guys have picked it up before. So, I'm encouraged to see how our guys respond this week."
Stroud emphasized the importance of everyone doing their jobs.
"That is the main thing is just execution," Stroud said. "It really breeds confidence, and it breeds wins. The more we can execute those looks that we get, we see them in practice, we just have to be able to do it on Sundays. Once we do that we will be able to see our offense flow some more."
3) Mixon on the money – Running back Joe Mixon has been terrific as a Texan. In four starts, he's cracked the 100-yard mark three times, and is third in the NFL with 121 yards from scrimmage per game.
Last week at Green Bay, he carried 25 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns, with four different runs that went for 10 yards or more, including a 32-yarder.
In Week 1, Mixon exploded for 159 yards on 30 carries, and ran for a score.
"Joe's been phenomenal for us," Ryans said. "The way he plays the game and his play style, his demeanor, how he runs with a physical mindset. it's everything to our run game. When we've run the ball well, it's no secret that Joe has been in there and Joe has been part of the reason why we've run it so well."
The Colts, meanwhile, have allowed opponents an average of 159.9 rushing yards per game. That's worse than all but one team in the entire NFL.
4) Alright, Anthony – Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is last in the league in completion percentage (48.5) and passer rating (60.0) and has thrown twice as many interceptions as touchdowns (6-3). Still, he's a remarkably talented signal-caller who completed some jaw-dropping passes in the Week 1 contest.
"We know we gave up some explosive passes there in our first game," Ryans said. "We have to be disciplined in our coverage and play the defense the proper way. And we try to eliminate those explosives."
Richardson tossed touchdown passes of 60 and 54 yards, and also completed a 57-yard pass in the season opener. He led the Colts' run game with 56 yards, and it only took him six carries to do so.
5)Tame Taylor – Running back Jonathan Taylor was back at practice this week after missing the first three October games with an ankle injury.
In the Week 1 win at Indianapolis, the Texans defense limited Taylor to 48 yards on 16 carries. Prior to that matchup, the young veteran had torched Houston for an average of 6.0 yards per carry, and cracked the 100-yard mark in four of his six previous games against Houston.
"When he's in there, obviously, he's a dynamic player and then the run element, our first game, Richardson had more rushing yards, so he got out a couple of times on us," Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke said. "First and foremost, it's attacking the run game for us and being good there and then let that sort of filter out to everything else."
Taylor shrugged off that subpar performance to start the season with back-to-back games over 100 yards, and then an 88-yard, one touchdown output in the Colts' win over the Steelers. Now he's most likely back and set to play versus the Texans, and they know how threatening he can be.
"We know what he's capable of doing out of the backfield," Safety Calen Bullock said. "I think he's one of the best backs we'll play this year. We got to keep him contained. We can't let him go off."
