From 1-5 to the Divisional Round- Colts march on
By JUSTIN BYERS
ISL Contributor
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts are up to something. They’ve been in playoff mode for a long time after starting the season 1-5. They took care of the Titans in Week 17. Defeating the Titans away from Lucas Oil proved that the Colts can compete with any opponent regardless of the location. And that continued to be the case in Houston.
The Texans won the battle in the AFC South, but the Colts won the war.
Fans know the story of the season series between the Colts and Texans. The Colts would fall at home to Houston in the first game. This game included a controversial decision by Colts head coach Frank Reich to go for it on fourth-down in overtime. The Colts were unsuccessful converting the fourth-down leading to Houston escaping Lucas Oil Stadium with a win. The second game featured the Colts making the trip to NRG Stadium and leaving with a 24-21 win. It was safe to say that coming into Saturday’s Wildcard matchup, the Colts and Texans were familiar with one another.
Except this week, things were different. From the first snap to the last, the Colts handled business. Many expected this game to be close, but from the very first drive, the Colts displayed precision and an attitude that would remain unmatched by the Texans. The difference was in the trenches.
“We came into this game saying we need to dominate upfront, we need to run the football and we need to stop the run,” said Coach Reich in his postgame press conference. These sentiments came to fruition as the Colts defense didn’t allow a Texans rusher to exceed eighty-yards. On the other hand, Colts running back Marlon Mack rushed for 148 yards and one touchdown on twenty-four carries. The Colts accomplished what they set out to do.
The Colts found success in NRG Stadium this weekend for a myriad of reasons, but most notably because of the offensive line. The Texans defense included three players named to this season’s Pro Bowl: Jadeveon Clowney, Benardrick McKinney and J.J. Watt. However, the Colts’ offensive line held the stout Texans defense to zero sacks and only one tackle for loss. The offensive line set the tone from the start on Saturday against Houston and they would carry that momentum to the finish.
The catalyst for the Texans on offense is their second-year quarterback Deshaun Watson who struggled to find any continuity within the Bill O’Brian led offense. The Texans’ lone score would come with ten minutes left in the game as Watson found KeKe Coutee for a six-yard touchdown pass.
The Colts defense also displayed their physicality at the line of scrimmage pinning the Texans offense on several occasions. Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus set the defense up for success as they disrupted Watson the entire afternoon. The Colts sacked Watson three times while issuing eight quarterback-hits in the process.
The Colts were successful in all three phases of the game against the Texans and they will have to replicate that effort against the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC Divisional playoff matchup at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs present a unique matchup but with the past few performances by the Colts fans should be encouraged. Kansas City head coach Andy Reid is one of the best in the business, but the Chiefs haven’t won a home playoff game since 1993. The Colts will look to continue that trend on Saturday.
