The Day After the Day After: The Houston Texans complete the sweep of the Indianapolis Colts

NFL: OCT 27 Colts at Texans — Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

A victory, however costly, however stressful, is a victory nevertheless.

The Day After the Day After…when the raw, immediate emotions from the aftermath of a game diminish into the realm of clarity and the proverbial (or literal) hangover no longer haunts the mind. With that, a review of Week 8:

WR depth: Coming into the season, the WR room rated as the strongest overall group on the team. With Diggs, Collins and Dell at the top three slots, the quality of depth on the roster portended either a lot of happy WRs stat-wise, or some quality trade bait for the team. However, that depth might come in handy for other reasons. Houston entered the game without Nico Collins, who is out until Week 10.

Then, late in the third quarter, Stefon Diggs went out with a non-contact knee injury (MRI still pending). Dell hasn’t quite recaptured his rookie prowess, but should get plenty of chances now. Woods, Hutchinson and Metchie get the chance to show off their skills, not for future trade teams, but to keep Houston in prime playoff position. Do that, and then add Collins back into the mix, and regardless of Diggs, the team’s passing attack should force some sleepless nights for defensive coordinators.

The Astros aren’t alone struggling to close out games at home: For the second time in four home games, Houston held a one score lead deep into the fourth quarter. They leveraged their running game to milk clock and drive deep into an opponent red zone. A go-ahead TD, and the game is all but over. Then…a fumble on a running play. Last time, it was Akers against the Chicago Bears. This time, a bumbled toss between Stroud and Mixon. At least Mixon had the wherewithal to throw the Indianapolis Colts defender to the ground, preventing a nightmare scoop-and-score for Indy. Mixon might be the best closing RB in Houston Texans history, but on a goal-to-go situation, somehow the team couldn’t execute. The Most Interesting Defense in the World kept the Colts in check, but like Chicago, the final minutes need not have held THAT much drama.

Mixon’s running great, but there are other backs too: In four of five games played, Mixon rushed for over 100 yards. 25 carries for 102 yards and a TD rates as a solid day the office. However, for all other designed running plays (not counting the botched red zone snapped charged the CJ Stroud for a 10 yard loss): three carries for four yards. Pierce showed some good running on the kick returns, but only got one carry. Dare Ogunbowale had one carry, as did Stefon Diggs. For a back with some wear on the treads like Mixon, might be worthwhile to divvy up some of the carries.

Special Teams, Great with the ball, not-so-great without it: For returns and FGs, aka the offensive end of special teams, Houston did quite good. Pierce average 39 yards on two kick returns, setting Houston up with good field position. Woods returned two punts for 23 total yards (11.5 yards a return) and Fairbairn went 3-for-3 on FGs. As for the special teams defense…While the punt coverage held Indy to a six yards/return average, the kick coverage nearly blew it, surrendering over 45 yards/return on two kicks. Townsend’s numbers looked fine, with five of six punts inside the 20, but several of those resulted from lucky bounces, and even then, those finally died barely inside the 20. Overall, solid, but the coverage units will have some extra work ahead of them on this short week.

FUN WITH NUMBERS:

31: Completion percentage of the last two opponents at NRG. The last two QBs to play against Houston at NRG went a collective 19 of 62. A bit of a difference between the two opposing throwers. Josh Allen is playing at a near MVP level, but he could get nothing going against a relentless Houston pass rush. Anthony Richardson is not near Allen’s level, but even by Richardson’s standards, he had a tough day at the office. Starting a half 2/15 (even if one of the completions is a 69-yard TD) is not a formula for long-term NFL success.

6: Home game winning streak. Since a Christmas Eve loss to Cleveland in 2023, Houston hasn’t lost a home game that counts. Recall that Houston entered the 2023 on a nine-game home winless streak. Under Ryans, the home record: 10-3 in the regular season, 1-0 in the playoffs. Also, the 4-0 start is the second best-home start for Houston (2016 team won its first five home games that season).

GAME BALLS:

DE Will Anderson, Jr.: On a team filled with young, hungry players, Anderson might be the one with the most pure drive and intensity. On a day where he tied for the lead in tackles (7) (5 solo), he also added one key sack and a TFL. His pursuit and attacks on the ball carriers and Richardson did much to make it a tough day for the Colts offense, especially in the first half. His all-out pursuit on the final play ended what slim Hail Mary hopes the Colts possessed (Chicago cries at the mention of Hail Mary defense).

S Eric Murray: While his initial contract with Houston was rightfully derided, and he is a target many an offense will exploit, he did manage to have a strong defensive game. He tied Will Anderson with seven tackles, but most important were his three passes defended. Richardson rightfully went after Murray, but he did well to deflect those passes in the first quarter. Those deflections required solid DB play, as they were some of the better thrown balls Richardson dealt in the first half. For a streaky QB like Richardson, a bad start, especially if a player like Murray contributes to that, can only snowball into a game to forget.

PK Ka’imi Fairbairn: The UCLA alum must have felt out of place. He didn’t have to even attempt a 50-yard FG, which he is 9/10 on the year. Still, 3-for-3 in a game decided by three points can’t be overlooked.

SHOULD BE FORCED TO PICK UP EACH INDIVIDUAL CRUMB FROM THE LATEST DAVID CULLEY HALLOWEEN NACHO PARTY WHILE LISTENING TO BRIAN CASHMAN WHINING ABOUT 2017 ON REPEAT.

G Kenyon Green: In a season where the team needs Green to solidify the interior of the line, he is unquestionably the weakest link. The interior protection, or lack thereof, is a major reason for the inconsistencies of the Houston passing attack. Perhaps the most damning sequence for Green came in the first half. On the Texans’ initial TD drive, Jarrett Patterson lined up at Green’s left guard slot. Stroud, free from pressure, went 5-for-5 passing, and the team moved down the field, leading to Mixon’s powerful TD run. Yet, Patterson suffered a concussion on the drive and had to leave the game. Green checked back in at LG. Three plays where Stroud was under pressure, and a three-and-out followed. Unfortunately, that is the story for Green this year.

QB Anthony Richardson: Kinda harsh, but the way the Colts lost that game, Richardson is a root cause. Jonathan Taylor regained his running prowess, hitting the Texans up for over 100 yards on the ground. Even a merely competent passing allows the Colts to win this game. Perhaps Flacco could’ve done that. However, it is not just the passing. In particular, Richardson’s actions in the second half did as much as anything Houston did to win. “Tapping out” in the third quarter on a third down was one thing. Then the final drive. He went for the yards instead of getting out of bounds on a long scramble, which he easily could have done after a first down. It cost the team time. A few more inaccurate passes, and then he faced a Hail Mary situation. Only three rushers got home for the sack (yes, Hunter and Anderson, but still). Richardson is a project, but for the Colts, how much longer can they stick with him?

With that, Houston turns the page rather quickly, as they have a date back at MetLife Stadium with the New York Jets of New Jersey on Halloween. Hopefully, this one is not as horrible as the last visit.