Amidst an uninspiring offensive showing was a strong day from the Colts’ defense. Indy’s defense held the CJ Stroud-led Texans to 23 points (16 if you were to exclude the late first-half blunder of an INT that set Houston up deep in Indy’s territory) and provided the offense with a chance to tie or win with a late-game takeaway.
The Colts dominated the Texans’ run game this time around, holding them to just 96 total rushing yards on 29 carries for a 3.3 yards-per-carry average. Houston was held to completing just 30% of its 3rd down conversions on the day (4 for 13), and while that certainly bested Indy’s offensive output, this was a promising showing for Indy’s defense, especially when you consider how poor they’ve been on 3rd downs this season, specifically on 3rd and long.