Colts survive late push, move on to KC
By Ryan Stano
The Colts were up big early against the Texans, but had to hold on a little bit at the end. But they are moving on behind an impressive defensive performance.
It looked like it was going to be a blowout early. The Colts jumped out to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter, and they showed no signs of slowing down. They did ultimately slow down their offensive output, but still won the game 21-7.
This was one of the most impressive defensive efforts the Colts have had in a few years. They may not have shut Houston out, but they played so well for the entire game. They never let Deshaun Watson feel comfortable in the pocket, and didn’t allow any big plays.
Marlon Mack was great all game long. He had over 100 yards rushing and got big chunks of yards on almost every run. He opened up the play-action passing game later in the half. If he continues to run like this, they are going to be hard to beat.
Andrew Luck was efficient early, but slowed down a bit in the second half. In the first half, the Colts did not have a single punt. That is how well they were rolling on that side of the ball. They weren’t able to keep it up in the second half, but they didn’t need to.
Pierre Desir had another stellar game against DeAndre Hopkins. He shut him down, only allowing 5 catches for 37 yards. He also dropped a pick that could’ve sealed the game sooner than they did, but he will be forgiven for shutting down Hopkins.
Kenny Moore had a pick on 4th down in the first half too. Darius Leonard yet again led the team in tackles and was all over the field. The defensive line did a great job stifling the running game and forcing Watson to move around in the pocket. Just an outstanding game for them.
This team is playing their best football at the end of the year and is rolling. Kansas City should be very nervous next week, because the Colts are coming. And they’re not scared.