Indianapolis Colts vs Houston Texans: Duds and Studs

Oct 9, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw (44) scores a touchdown in the first quarter against Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing (56) at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts (4-2) won a tough game on the road against the AFC South rival Houston Texans (3-3) 33-28 for Indy’s fourth consecutive victory after starting 0-2. The team looked really good at the beginning of the matchup; the offense could do no wrong and the defense forced three consecutive three-and-outs. That would soon wane as the Texans spurred on a second quarter comeback that turned the game into a nailbiter.

Plenty of players stood out for Indy on Thursday in a convincing win over a rival. For the most part, the team was great, but there were a few low points.

Let’s take a look at this week’s duds and studs:

Studs:

Andrew Luck: Luck was really good in yet another contest this year. Luck historically has had good games against Houston, but he went above and beyond on Thursday. He finished 25/44 for 370 yards, three aerial scores and a pick. He posted a 97.7 QBR against a Texans team that has had a decent defense in the air all year. He’s continuing to look really good and is loving having a fully healthy offense. The reemergence of T.Y.Hilton has helped spur on Luck’s development this season. His interception was a pass batted up at the line of scrimmage; certainly not completely his fault, just a great play by the defensive player. For the first time in a few games, Luck seemed to no have any bad decisions for the entire game. He looked good and he’s continuously getting better.

T.Y. Hilton: He’s back. Fans have been wondering where Hilton has been so far this season, but he certainly made a statement with this game against Houston. Hilton recorded 223 yards on nine catches for Indianapolis and the Texans simply had no answers for the quick receiver. Most telling, Hilton caught every ball thrown in his direction. He nearly had another touchdown had it not been for a penalty on Reggie Wayne for setting a pick in the red zone. Hopefully, Hilton can keep this bit of dominance up as the season continues. He’s historically been very good against Houston but tends to land duds after his fantastic games; here’s to hoping he stays at the top of his game.

Pass Rush: It’s impossible to give it to one player, but the Colts demolished the offensive line of the Houston Texans. Five different Colts recorded a sack against a porous offensive line on Thursday. Ryan Fitzpatrick, when he wasn’t sacked, was constantly running around, trying to find space to throw. He was hit on nearly every passing play; not a great night for the Houston quarterback. Bjoern Werner had his second consecutive great game; although the stat sheet doesn’t show it, Werner was all over Fitzpatrick on a consistent basis. It was a great night for the entire pass rush of the Indianapolis Colts.

Duds:

Running Game: Houston’s run defense is decent, but Indy couldn’t get a thing going on the ground against the Texans. Trent Richardson rushed 17 times for 41 yards and a score while Ahmad Bradshaw ran 11 times for 34 yards. Compiled together, the running backs rushed for a paltry 2.6 YPC. They were able to push forward for some first downs and even find the end zone, but that consistently mediocre of an attack isn’t going to work against teams that are better than the Texans. It seemed like the Colts finally found something that worked between the two backs, but that backfired on Thursday.

Gosder Cherilus: It’s almost a guaranteed thing that whoever takes on J.J. Watt will make the duds column. Cherilus had no answers for the All-Pro as J.J. Watt did was J.J. Watt does: ravage offenses. It can’t be entirely put on the back of Cherilus; the Colts did everything they could to cover Watt. However, stopping someone of Watt’s caliber was just too much of a task for Cherilus and the entire offensive line. Cherilus has enjoyed a decent season on the right side of the formation, but certainly will have to watch some tape to prevent the same raging from happening later in the year.

D’Qwell Jackson, Jerrell Freeman: Arian Foster ran wild on Indy in the second quarter and after, and the Colts had no answers. On running plays, the defensive line tried to stop the offensive line from getting blocks and did a decent job at stopping them. However, on the second level, Jackson and Freeman struggled to tackle the elusive Foster. Jackson registered a really nice sack, which works in his favor, but since Freeman has returned to the lineup, the team has looked a bit more vulnerable covering the run game. Allowing Foster 109 yards and two touchdowns is the exact thing that D’Qwell Jackson was brought in to stop. These guys are going to have to figure it out in the run game if they want to stay in the top tier of defenses in the league.