Sometimes, a playmaking defense can carry a club.
Usually, though, it’s not quite enough.
And so we come to the case of the Texans, who trail 14-7 at Indianapolis as the third quarter begins. Houston’s defense has scored the club’s only touchdown, a 27-yard interception return by Kendrick Lewis. Star defensive lineman J.J. Watt has been outstanding per usual, notching two sacks and drawing a holding penalty that took a Colts touchdown off the board.
However, to knock off the Colts, the Texans’ offense will likely have to come through, and that could be challenging with rookie quarterback Tom Savage forced into action with Ryan Fitzpatrick ruled for the game with a leg injury. Savage was 2-of-5 passing for 44 yards in the first half and lost a fumble on a handoff.
Meanwhile, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck had a solid first half aside from the pick, connecting on 16-of-26 passes for 164 yards with TD passes to wideout Hakeem Nicks (26 yards) and tight end Dwayne Allen (three yards).
The Colts seem likely to load the box and dare Savage to beat them. Can the Texans find a way to make Indianapolis pay? It will be fascinating to watch as Houston (7-6) tries to stay in the AFC South race.