Texans Visit Colts in Week 3 With Five-Game Division Streak on the Line
The short version
- Texans have won five straight against the Colts heading into Week 3 of the 2026 season.
- C.J. Stroud is averaging nearly 314 passing yards per game but has just two touchdowns and a 60.2% completion rate.
- Nico Collins is unavailable, leaving Houston's receiving group undermanned.
- A Houston analyst expects a close game decided by a late turnover, with Jonathan Taylor the biggest threat.
Houston arrives in Indianapolis for a Week 3 AFC South matchup, with C.J. Stroud piling up passing yards but the Texans' ground game struggling.
The Houston Texans travel to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season, a divisional meeting between AFC South rivals at Lucas Oil Stadium. Both teams enter the game with questions to answer after the season's opening two weeks.
In a question-and-answer exchange ahead of the game, Scott Barzilla of Battle Red Blog, SB Nation's Texans community, offered a Houston-side view of the matchup. On how the Colts offense should attack the Texans defense, he pointed to the interior as the soft spot, suggesting Indianapolis feed running back Jonathan Taylor between the tackles. In his assessment, the edges of the Texans defense are its strength, and staying ahead of the chains is essential because falling into long down-and-distance situations favors Houston.
The Colts defense showed a notable jump from Week 1 to Week 2, though Barzilla characterized the improvement as going from replacement-player level to simply a very bad NFL defense. His view of how Indianapolis can slow the Texans centers on stopping the run and forcing Houston into a one-dimensional passing game.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has put up big yardage through two games, averaging nearly 314 passing yards per contest. But his completion rate sits at 60.2 percent and he has thrown only two touchdowns. Barzilla attributed the uneven production to Houston trailing in games and becoming pass-heavy, a running game that has not produced, and communication breakdowns. He also noted that five dropped passes in Week 2 dragged down Stroud's completion percentage.
One other roster note from the exchange: wide receiver Nico Collins was referenced as unavailable to bail Stroud out, leaving the Texans' receiving corps undermanned. Barzilla singled out tight end Marlin Klein as a possible contributor who could make a key catch or two as a result.
On defense, Barzilla identified safeties Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre as Houston players due to generate turnovers, potentially flipping Sunday's game. He said pressure on the opposing quarterback could create those takeaway opportunities.
History leans Houston's way in the series. The Texans have won five straight against the Colts, and Barzilla predicted a sixth consecutive victory, forecasting a close game decided late by a key turnover. He acknowledged Jonathan Taylor as a genuine concern for the Houston defense but said nothing else about the Colts defense worried him significantly.
Fans looking to watch can find the Texans and Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, September 27, with kickoff at 1:00 PM EDT. The game airs on CBS.
