The Houston Texans’ new-look defense is set to have quite a challenge in Week 1, as it will face the Jonathan Taylor-led Indianapolis Colts rush offense.
Taylor had his way against the Texans in the 2021 regular season, recording a combined 288 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in two such games played. Whether it was in power runs or sweeps, Taylor often made his way into the open field with relative ease.
The Texans defense will also keep a close watch on Colts quarterback Matt Ryan, who is set to make his first start in an Indianapolis jersey on Sunday. Even as the team parted ways with Carson Wentz in the offseason and brought in Ryan to replace him at the quarterback position, Colts offensive coordinator Marcus Brady may opt to not change up the team’s identity on offense, such as with its hefty reliance on play-action plays.
Speaking during a press conference ahead of the Texans’ matchup against the Colts, head coach Lovie Smith was asked on just how difficult it is going to be for his team to defend Indianapolis’ play-action passes, taking into account the expected presence of Taylor on the field during such plays. Overall, Smith noted that multiple cornerbacks on the team will play a role in matching up with the Colts’ unpredictable offense.
“Very,” Smith said. “The easiest thing to do is just hand the ball off and they run the ball down the field. You have to make a commitment to the run. The only way to make a commitment to the run is to be isolated on the outside.
“It's a reason why you go and draft a guy with the third pick in the draft and you bring another guy in that you like, cornerback-wise. It's going to come down to that. I know everybody assumes we play Cover-2 every snap. We do a little bit more. It's hard to stop the run when you're playing Cover-2, so have to be able to do it all. The play action definitely gives us trouble.”
In his lone campaign with the Colts, Wentz ranked at fourth in the NFL in play-action pass attempts with 147. Brady often involved Taylor in play-action sets, as the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year winner tallied 139 receiving yards in such plays.
It will be noteworthy to see whether Derek Stingley Jr. and the rest of the Texans’ cornerback group end up succeeding in the tasks of limiting the Colts’ production in play-action and also slowing down Taylor.
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