While the Indianapolis Colts were tied to Trey Hendrickson early in the offseason, general manager Chris Ballard failed to make a league-shattering move to revamp the defense. In the meantime, the Los Angeles Rams sent shockwaves through the league by trading for Myles Garrett.
That determination to go all-in and get the team to the next level might certainly frustrate Colts fans. Also, as expected, this move turned the Rams into the hottest and most talked-about team in all of pro football.
However, as much as Garrett may have improved their defense, that didn't change one unfortunate truth for this team. As shown by Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport, the Houston Texans still have the best defense in the game, and they'll be a major problem twice a year.
The Indianapolis Colts still have to face the toughest defense in the league
"As seismic as the Myles Garrett trade was, it still isn't enough to rank the Rams defense ahead of the Houston Texans. While L.A. projects as a defensive juggernaut, Houston already is one—and proved it last year," Davenport wrote.
The Texans' defense gave up the fewest yards per game last season (277.2). They have the best pass-rushing duo in the league in Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., not to mention a top-3 cornerback in Derek Stingley Jr. and a hard-hitting Pro-Bowler in Azeez Al-Shaair. If that wasn't bad enough for the rest of the AFC South, they also added Kayden McDonald in this year's draft.
DeMeco Ryans has turned that defense into the most-feared unit in the National Football League. They don't need fancy schemes, pre-snap motion, or disguised coverages; they just dare opposing offenses to line up and take a beating on every single play. That old-school style might not be popular nowadays, but it's certainly efficient.
So, while everybody else in football continues to gush about Sean McVay's defense and Myles Garrett's arrival, Shane Steichen continues to work overtime to find the cracks in the Texans' defense.
The Colts wasted a golden opportunity to get back to the playoffs last season, and they'll now enter the season with their head coach and general manager on lukewarm seats. Notably, they won't have to wait long before facing one of their toughest challenges of the season, as they'll host the Texans in Week 3.
Daniel Jones is making big strides in his recovery and is now expected to be back on the field for the season opener. But after watching what the Texans' defense did to opposing quarterbacks in 2025, one can only wonder if exposing him to that, if he's still not at full strength, can be deemed organizational malpractice.
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