The play of the Indianapolis Colts' defense was vital in the team's Week 3 win over the Houston Texans.
This performance came after two abysmal outings in Weeks 1 and 2. The Colts entered Week 3 ranked last in points per game allowed, 31st in yards per rush, and 32nd in yards per pass attempt.
But this week was a far different story.
CJ Stroud would pass for just 167 yards, while the Houston run game averaged only 3.3 yards per attempt. The Colts' pass rush was more disruptive than it had been, while the secondary did a better job of eliminating explosive pass plays.
As a result, the Texans were just 4-of-11 on third downs and 0-for-1 on fourth downs. Houston punted the ball five times as well.
And despite being put in some difficult situations by
the Colts' own offense, which turned the ball over three times, the Indianapolis defense surrendered just seven points.
So what was different about this week's performance compared to the previous two?
"I think our guys communicated very well," Shane Steichen said afterward, via Colts.com. "I think they were all on the same page. I think we did a really good job of tackling. Third downs were good. The run game was really good. We did a hell of a job stopping the run. Everyone tackled, fit their gaps, and we gotta continue to do that."
Not to dismiss the Colts' performance, but the Houston offense did enter this game not exactly lighting things up. The coming weeks will tell us whether or not Indianapolis has actually turned things around or if this outing was just a blip on the radar.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Steichen details secret behind Colts defensive turnaround in Week 3
