Touchy Reactions: Colts’ late-game heroics fall short in 23-20 loss to Texans

The Indianapolis Colts are now 4-4 on the 2024 season after a 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday. Sunday’s loss is far from ideal for an Indianapolis team hoping to win a division one title within a decade. The Colts now look ahead to their primetime matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

COLTS’ INCONSISTENT OFFENSE THAT SHOWS A POSSIBLE COMEBACK

The Colts’ offense had its fair share of struggles on Sunday afternoon. Whether it was inconsistent throws from quarterback Anthony Richardson or just straight-up drops from Indy’s wide receivers, their offense struggled to find consistency throughout the game. With Richardson at the helm, this has become somewhat of a consistent theme for Indianapolis this season. Aside from a 69-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Josh Downs in the first quarter, Richardson looked unsettled behind the poor protection of his offensive line and ground game that wasn’t used often enough with Jonathan Taylor back in the starting lineup.

Richardson finished 10-for-32 for 175 yards with one touchdown and one interception and two fumble recoveries. The interception was undoubtedly the biggest play of the game, as Richardson tried to force a throw to Downs near the end of the first half. Instead of running the football in the situation, the Colts got greedy and came back to bite them in the worst way. In all likelihood the match would probably have been tied at 10 going into half time. Instead, Houston scored a touchdown on the takeaway and led 17-10. That play call from head coach Shane Steichen and Richardson’s throw simply couldn’t happen, and the result really hurt Indianapolis in a three-point win for the Texans.

It wasn’t until the second half that Richardson looked slightly better as a pitcher and runner. Many would have liked to see Indianapolis turn more to the ground game in the first half. The Colts did just that in the second half, leaning more on Taylor, who rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown on 20 total attempts. Richardson, meanwhile, finished with six attempts for 45 rushing yards. However, Indianapolis found itself in third place far too often on Sunday, converting on two of 13 attempts. That doesn’t win many games in the NFL.

The main issue with the Colts’ offense has been their inconsistencies at points this season. This is the world Indy will likely live in with an inexperienced quarterback at the helm. But at some point, Richardson has to start showing more than just flash combined with a few good throws per game. As of now, it’s fair to say there are more questions than answers with the league’s youngest starting quarterback. Head coach Shane Steichen also needs to do a better job of putting his young quarterback in positions to be successful. Both things can be true. More than anything, this season for the Colts has always been about Richardson’s development. Ultimately, it’s up to him to prove he can be the Colts’ long-term answer at quarterback.

COLTS’ STRONG DEFENSIVE DOESN’T SHOW ENOUGH TO OVERCOME OFFENSIVE PROBLEMS IN LOSS

Of the things that played a role in Sunday’s loss to Indianapolis, their defense is right at the bottom of the list. The Colts defensive unit as a whole played well enough to allow the team to come away with a win. Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, who was sacked twice, was under constant pressure. Indy’s pass rush led to a number of three-and-outs for Houston’s offense. The Texans also weren’t much better than the Colts in efficiency on third down, making just four of thirteen attempts. Stroud finished the day 25-for-37 for 285 yards and one touchdown.

Houston’s ground game was kept in check for the most part, as the Colts surrendered just 96 total rushing yards on 29 attempts (3.3 average YPC). Without Nico Collins in the starting lineup, the Colts’ secondary performed well against Houston’s wideouts. Stefon Diggs was the Texans’ leading pass catcher, finishing the game with five receptions for 81 yards. The Box score doesn’t necessarily tell the full story behind Indy’s strong defensive performance Sunday. A fumble recovery on a touchdown by Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo could have been a costly mistake on Houston’s offense. Odeyingbo, who had a great performance, was ruled by contact, wiping out the touchdown. On the ensuing drive, the Colts offense went three-and-out again, squandering a golden opportunity to tie the game or take the lead late in the fourth quarter.

On a day when the Colts defense did everything it could to keep the team in the game, their offense simply wasn’t good enough where it mattered most. With the exception of a few moments, Indianapolis’ defense has certainly played better of late and did more than enough on Sunday to allow the team to come away with a win. Big games from defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, Odeyingbo and a more than commendable effort from the Colts’ secondary should not be overlooked despite the loss. There is no doubt that this loss will be painful for Indianapolis. Most notably, it could end up being costly in a few months, as the team likely views a potential wild card spot as their best chance to make the playoffs this season.