Indianapolis Colts MVP: Week 9 at Houston Texans
By Drew Koch
The Colts defeated the Texans 20-14 on Sunday. Jacoby Brissett led the offense, with perhaps his best performance of the season, and is this week’s MVP.
Brissett set the tone early with a 45-yard bomb to T.Y. Hilton, who beat Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph for a touchdown midway through the first quarter. Brissett executed the play-action fake to halfback Marlon Mack perfectly, saw the double-coverage opposite Hilton, and dropped a dime right in to his wide receiver’s breadbasket.
The Colts’ next scoring drive didn’t come until the second quarter when Brissett hit Hilton again, this time for 30 yards along the right sideline before Hilton was pushed out of bounds at the Houston 16-yard line. Seven plays later, the Colts would tack on an Adam Vinatieri field goal from 22 yards out.
Brissett was sacked late in the first half when an unblocked blitz from Houston defensive back Eddie Pleasant resulted in a fumble that was picked up by Texans Lamarr Houston and returned for a Houston score.
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Brissett didn’t let that snafu rattle him. He hit Hilton on a crossing pattern late in the third quarter that the Pro Bowl wide receiver would turn into an unbelievable touchdown.
Brissett also got his tight end involved early and often. Jack Doyle had 8 catches for 63 yards.
With Andrew Luck officially out for the remainder of the season, Brissett owns the keys to the Colts’ offense going forward. He finished Sunday’s game completing 20 of his 30 pass attempts with 308 yards passing and 2 touchdowns.
Brissett continues to impress and improve every week. He shows great leadership ability, and as he shows a better understanding of the offense, the Indianapolis coaches can open up the playbook even more heading into next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.