The Houston Texans lost to the Indianapolis Colts 19-17 on Sunday, falling to 0-3 for the second consecutive year.
Here are the grades from the performance:
Quarterback: B-
C.J. Stroud didn’t get much help from his receivers or his offensive line. Both Xavier Hutchinson and Jared Wayne dropped catchable balls for first downs. No one got separation until the final quarter.
Advertisement
Stroud completed 16 of 27 passes for 167 yards and a 1-yard touchdown to tight end Foster Moreau in the second quarter. Stroud also put the Texans in position to win the game late, helping lead a go-ahead drive with two minutes remaining.
Running backs: D
It was another dismal performance from the Texans’ running game. They weren’t as bad as they were against the Bengals. But the Colts’ run defense was ranked 31st in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game coming into this one.
And Houston still couldn’t get anything going. A huge reason for that, though, was because the offensive line couldn’t hope up holes for David Montgomery and Woody Marks. The two combined for 48 yards rushing on 16 carries.
Advertisement
Wide receivers/Tight ends: D-
It was a horrendous performance from the Texans’ wide receivers for most of the game. The Texans were without Nico Collins for the second consecutive game. They dropped catchable balls, and rarely got open. Kayshon Boutte ran the most routes on the team, and was targeted only once. And it wasn’t because Stroud missed him. The Colts bracketed Dalton Schultz and kept him out of the game.
But they did play well at the end.
Offensive line: D+
The Texans’ offensive line was terrible early and later settled in when they needed it. Still they struggled to open up run lanes for most of the game. Stroud was sacked three times.
Advertisement
Defensive line: A
Will Anderson Jr. was big. He had 7 tackles, 2 ½ sacks and 2 forced fumbles, including one with 4:40 left in the game that gave the offense the ball near midfield. It was the Texans’ defensive line that truly kept them in this game, and reminded us why they are elite. He also had nine quarterback pressures.
Linebacker: B-
Azeez Al-Shaair toughed it out through a groin injury Sunday, and he played well. But Jake Hansen and rookie Wade Woodaz struggled in coverage. Woodaz allowed a touchdown in the red zone on third down in the first half when he was slow to react.
But overall, the Texans’ linebacker did a solid job of keeping running back Jonathan Taylor in check and out of the end zone. Taylor averaged just 3 yards per carry.
Advertisement
Secondary: C
The Texans’ secondary was unable to keep the Colts from moving downfield, leading to a game-winning drive. Cornerback Kamari Lassiter likely should have been pressing Keenan Allen, who doesn’t have the same speed he used to. Instead, he played off, allowing Allen to gain enough yards and put Colts kicker Spencer Schrader in position to hit the game-winning field goal with 16 seconds left.
Special teams: F
This unit has struggled mightily through three games. Ka’imi Fairbairn’s kick in the end zone for a touchback after Houston took a 17-16 lead gave the Colts’ the ball at their own 35-yard line, which likely cost them. The Colts didn’t need many yards to kick the game-winning field goal.
Advertisement
But even before that, there were plays on special teams that cost them.
Coaching: F
DeMeco Ryans‘ decision to not call a timeout with 1:05 remaining likely cost Houston the game. Because he didn’t call a timeout, the Colts were able to milk the clock down to 29 seconds before he finally called it. There was also his decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 in the first quarter instead of kicking a field goal.
Subscribe
There’s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.
This article originally published at Texans report card: Grading Houston’s 19-17 loss to Indianapolis Colts.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
