Winless Texans and Colts Meet in AFC South Showdown
The short version
- Both the Texans and Colts enter Week Three at 0-2
- Houston is a 1.5-point road favorite at FanDuel
- Jonathan Taylor has 190 rushing yards through two games
- Alec Pierce is on injured reserve; Keenan Allen faces a potential three-game suspension
- Nico Collins may miss the game with a hamstring injury
Houston and Indianapolis, both 0-2, face off Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium with each team searching for its first win of the season.
Two teams in desperate need of a victory meet Sunday when the Houston Texans visit the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC South divisional matchup. Both clubs sit at 0-2 after difficult opening stretches against some of the AFC's strongest contenders.
For Houston, the poor start has become a pattern. The Texans have opened 0-2 for the second consecutive season and the third time since DeMeco Ryans became head coach. Indianapolis dropped a pair of high-scoring games against the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite their records, the Texans are listed as 1.5-point favorites at FanDuel. That narrow margin reflects Houston's struggles on both offense and defense through two weeks, including a loss to Cincinnati in which the team abandoned the run and let quarterback C.J. Stroud throw a career-high 55 passes.
Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor looms as the biggest threat. He has rushed for 190 yards through two games and figures to test a Houston defense that has been vulnerable on the ground, particularly with linebackers Henry To'oTo'o and Kayden McDonald unavailable up the middle.
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, in his return from an Achilles injury suffered last season, has thrown two touchdowns and two interceptions while struggling to sustain drives and operate efficiently in the red zone. He has been sacked twice. His immobility could play into the hands of Houston edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, who were neutralized in Week One by Josh Allen's scrambling.
The Colts will be without wide receiver Alec Pierce, who landed on injured reserve after signing a $114 million contract. Pierce torched Houston for 210 yards and three touchdowns across two meetings last season. Keenan Allen, added late by Indianapolis, has seven catches, third on the team behind Josh Downs and Tyler Warren, but he faces a potential three-game suspension following an incident in Indianapolis earlier this month in which he was found driving over the legal limit.
Tight end Tyler Warren leads the Colts with nine receptions for 39 yards and could be a key target, given Houston's struggles against Buffalo tight end Dalton Kincaid in Week One. On the Houston side, wide receiver Nico Collins may miss the game with a hamstring injury, which would put more on the plates of Dalton Schultz, who had a big role last week, Jaylin Noel, and Kayshon Boutte. The original analysis of this matchup predicted a 24-17 Colts victory, citing Indianapolis's run game as the difference between the two teams.
Houston has yet to force a turnover this season, and questions remain along an offensive line that has struggled in pass protection and in the running game. Sunday's result will go a long way toward determining whether the Texans can avoid a third straight loss to open the year.
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts kicks off Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 PM EDT at Lucas Oil Stadium. The game airs on CBS.
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