The Indianapolis Colts avoided a nearly devastating loss to the Houston Texans, retaking the lead late on a Spencer Shrader field goal.
With the win, the Colts improved to 1-2 on the season. Here are our instant takeaways from Indianapolis' performance against Houston.
- The Colts' nine-game losing streak dating back to last season has now ended. Although it's only Week 3, this was a playoff-like game for Indianapolis, with history not kind to 0-3 teams when it comes to making the playoffs.
- It was certainly a better performance from the Colts' defense in this game. CJ Stroud passed for only 169 yards, while the Texans averaged under4.0 yards per carry on the ground. With the Indianapolis offense turning the ball over three times, the defense was put
in some difficult situations but often held up.
- Against a disruptive Houston defense, things didn't come easily for the Colts' offense either. The run game averaged just 2.9 YPC, while Daniel Jones averaged a modest 6.5 yards per pass attempt on 36 passes.
- This was not Jones' sharpest performance, by any means.
- Jones did face pressure in this game, with Will Anderson often in the backfield. Jones and the pass game did create some chunk plays in those situations, but Jones also made a bad decision on the interception he threw, and he put the ball on the ground multiple times as well.
- Jones and the passing game found some success over the middle of the field.
- We know that Josh Downs is a reliable target, but he's showcased his ability to generate some chunk plays over the last two weeks without Alec Pierce.
- Tyler Warren continues to be targeted heavily, however, it's often around the line of scrimmage, where defenders are quick to swarm. He averaged just 6.1 yards per reception. Shane Steichen has to find different ways to get him the ball.
- Despite the inconsistent play at times from the Colts' offense, this unit was relatively efficient on third downs, which helped extend drives. That allowed the Colts to also control the time of possession and limit Houston's opportunities on offense.
- While not perfect, the Colts' pass rush did seem more disruptive today than it had been during the first two games.
- The secondary was also able to limit explosive pass plays, which is something that was a big issue through the first two weeks.
- Spencer Shrader showcased why he won the kicking competition over the summer. A terrific outing for him as he dealt with a groin injury.
- A disruptive day for Adetomiwa Adebawore along the Colts' interior defensive line. Also a bounce-back performance from Justin Walley.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Instant analysis of Colts' Week 3 win over Texans
