The Indianapolis Colts are trying to move past their overtime gut punch in Kansas City, and the front office is already tweaking the roster as they prepare for their matchup with Houston. After falling 23-20 to the Chiefs and seeing their AFC South lead trimmed to a single game over the Jaguars, Indianapolis placed veteran wide receiver and core special-teams player Ashton Dulin on injured reserve and brought safety George Odum back to the 53-man roster.
Dulin’s field-stretching ability and special teams work will be missed, but Odum’s return gives the Colts a trusted, physical presence in the third phase as they brace for a divisional slugfest with the Texans.
Not long after those moves, the team added one more bit of news to the medical file. On the Colts’ official account, the club announced an injury report update for HOU vs. IND, noting that tight end Tyler Warren has been added with an illness and is now questionable for Sunday’s game.
It is a late-week curveball for Shane Steichen’s staff, given how often Warren has been involved in heavy sets, play-action wrinkles, and red-zone designs.
If Warren cannot go or is limited, Indianapolis may need to lean more on its other tight ends in the passing game and ask its receivers to carry even more of the underneath workload. Against a Texans defense that disguises pressure and lives on disruption, losing a reliable safety valve and edge-sealer is far from ideal.
The larger offensive picture still revolves around Daniel Jones’ status, and that part at least is trending in the right direction. After dealing with a fibula issue, the veteran quarterback returned as a full participant in practice this week and is expected to start against Houston.
Jones has played through pain before, and his presence stabilizes a unit that depends on timing and rhythm throws to stay ahead of the sticks. The injury warrants close monitoring, but the staff clearly believes he can manage it without altering the game plan.
Week 13 might not decide the division outright, but between Dulin’s absence, Warren’s late illness designation, and Jones gutting it out, the Colts’ margin for error against a feisty Texans team just got a little thinner.
