The 5-2 Houston Texans are hoping that this week's game will go better than we saw in Week 7. Against the struggling division rival Indianapolis Colts, who are currently 4-3, Houston needs to come out of this matchup with a victory.
We’ve seen both the good and the ugly from the Texans so far this season. And with the nasty coming last week, fans are hoping not to see it for two straight games. So what are the Texans’ keys to victory to avoid going 5-3?
Give C.J. Stroud more time in the pocket
The Texans have kept C.J. Stroud relatively clean this season, at least up until last week. They allowed seven quarterback hits along with four sacks to the Green Bay Packers pass rush.
That’s allowed Stroud to start out hot, totaling 1,663 yards, 10 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Indianapolis ranks 14th in pass rush win rate at 37%, according to ESPN, and top pick Laiatu Latu has only totaled two sacks, and fourth-year edge rusher Kwity Paye has 1.5 sacks on the year. Certainly, not a great start to the season for the Colts' pass rush, so this could be a get-right game for Houston’s offensive line.
Find a way to get the ball into Tank Dell’s hands
Stroud couldn’t seem to find Tank Dell last week, no matter how much he tried. You could say that was a big reason they couldn’t stay consistent on offense, and they have a chance to fix that this week. With the Texans down Nico Collins, they’ve been relying more on Tank Dell to take the top off the defense. And it has worked outside of last week, as he totaled 57 yards and a touchdown against the New England Patriots.
Head coach Demeco Ryans had faith in Dell while talking to reporters this week, according to Aaron Wilson. He told reporters “I believe in Tank, believe he’ll be able to make some big-time explosive plays for us. He just has to keep going and he will do that. I have all the faith in Tank.”
The pass rush has to be at it's best with Denico Autry back
Yes, he’s been back. However, it’s going to take some time to get back to form. Denico Autry comes into a pass rush unit consisting of Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, and Foley Fatukasi. Together, the three of them have combined for 11 sacks on the year. Adding the 11-year vet in Autry only improves the unit, and it gives the young defensive line another veteran voice in the room.
Autry has had success against Indianapolis, totaling 14 tackles and four sacks in seven career games, per Statmuse. This is the perfect game for Autry to shake the rust off and get going again.