One doesn't have to be a football savant to acknowledge that the Houston Texans are a juggernaut of a team. Adding Jadeveon Clowney to that defensive line was nasty and overkill, and they have way too many weapons on both sides of the field.
The Indianapolis Colts will have a tall task claiming the AFC South's top spot, but as stacked as they are and as intimidating as they look right now, the Texans have a glaring weakness they can exploit: their quarterback.
C.J. Stroud's fall from grace has been impossible to overlook, to the point where he didn't even make the NFL's top-100 list. He barely missed the cut at No. 103, and the Colts must show some pride and teeth when they face him in 2026.
The Indianapolis Colts must do better against the struggling C.J. Stroud
Of course, this list isn't rocket science, but the point has been made. Stroud isn't a top quarterback by any objective or subjective measure, and while this is a team sport, there's no way to justify why this defense can't seem to contain him.
Stroud has gotten worse with every year, but he's still fared quite well against the Colts. In six career games, he's logged a 5-1 record with 1,612 passing yards, eight touchdowns, one interception, and a 103.2 passer rating.
Granted, this is a team sport, and some of those wins have come against the Colts' never-ending revolving door of backup quarterbacks. Still, the defense should do much better against a one-dimensional player who can't seem to figure things out when the pocket collapses.
The Colts' pass-rush was a major issue last season. They overhauled that room with most veterans leaving, adding Arden Key, Micheal Clemons, and drafting George Gumbs Jr. They also expect a big leap from Jaylahn Tuimoloau after being a non-factor as a rookie.
The Texans have failed to put together a reliable offensive line for Stroud, constantly shaking things up and moving starters around. That's where the Colts must dominate in their two matchups, knowing that Stroud struggles mightily when he rolls out of the pocket and that he's not particularly fast or mobile.
This will be a make-or-break season for Stroud. He still hasn't gotten a contract extension, and it looks like the Texans are in no rush to get a deal done. He must prove that his strong rookie campaign wasn't a one-year wonder, and that's some big weight to carry on his shoulders.
The Colts can play a big role in whether he gets a big deal. Leveling the scales and shifting the power balance by taking him down twice next season should only add more doubts to the front office's concerns about him.
With a healthy Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward, a revamped pass-rushing unit, and Stroud's continuous regression, the Texans might not be as big a threat to the Colts in 2026 after all.
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