The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts are set to due battle this Sunday afternoon in a meeting of 0-2 franchises looking for their first victory of the season. With the AFC South well within reach after an abysmal 1-7 opening two-game stretch for the division, a win here is pivotal for both teams.
However, a loss at this juncture could prove disastrous for either team as well. This is especially true for a Texans team that already had to dig themselves out of an 0-3 hole to begin last year's campaign. On the other side, the Colts are a squad facing immense pressure of its own, as ownership in Indy has made it clear that this year was about having an "urgency" that apparently wasn't there last season in the midst of their seven-game losing streak to close out 2025 (now a combined nine games after their start).
To help contextuaize the event even further, Indianapolis Colts Analyst, and Site Expert of Fansided's Horseshoe Heroes, Lee Vowell provided his insights in a Q&A session this week for Toro Times.
Breaking down Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts in week three
Clayton Anderson: After facing the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs in back-to-back games to open up the season, the Colts now find themselves with arguably the worst statistical defense in the NFL. Is that more a product of the competition faced, or a sign of a deeper problem?
Lee Vowell: The Colts' defensive issues definitely go far deeper than just the statistics, and they are in many categories the worst statistically. The team made a concerted effort to get younger, but so far the choices they have made in doing so aren't working out. For instance, second-round pick CJ Allen (who was Indy's first selection since they didn't have a first-rounder; that was dealt to the New York Jets last season in return for Sauce Gardner) has barely played. He was either overdrafted or underdeveloped in training camp.
Systemically, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo hasn't ever proven to be a top-flight DC (in his eight previous seasons as a DC in the NFL, only one of his defenses -- the 2022 Cincinnati Bengals -- has ranked in the top half in terms of yards allowed or points allowed. Yet, he keeps getting jobs somehow.
His scheme in Indianapolis has produced no sustained pass rush and terrible coverage over the middle of the field. That doesn't seem fixable, as it was fixed in 2025, Anarumo's first season with the Colts, and those two aspects are nonexistent so far through two games in 2026.
CA: It's no secret that both teams are 0-2 coming into this matchup. Who would you say should be feeling the pressure the most out of the two teams?
LV: Two different types of pressure could be involved. The assumption is that DeMeco Ryans isn't having to win to keep his job. He is too good a culture-builder and has been too successful. Maybe there is more pressure on quarterback C.J. Stroud, based on his play in the playoffs last season. But he is a good quarterback who needs to show he can win important games late in the season.
The Colts, though, could see foundational changes if the season continues to trend poorly. Indianapolis hasn't won the AFC South since 2014, and general manager Chris Ballard, who has been on his job since 2017, hasn't won the division and hasn't been to the playoffs since 2020. The team hasn't won a playoff game since 2018. Ownership has said this season needs to have a sense of urgency, with the implication that Ballard and/or head coach Shane Steichen could lose their jobs if the team misses the playoffs again. It's definitely looking that way.
CA. In the event that head coach Shane Steichen (and GM Chris Ballard by extension) find themselves at 0-3 by the end of the weekend, is it plausible that Colts' ownership could look to make some dismissals as a result?
LV: The answer is yes, but not right away. Likely, nothing will happen until the season is over, if it happens even then. Ballard is kept as the GM even though he's not had much success. To hear him speak, however, one would think he has won several Super Bowls. The fanbase is questioning why he is still the general manager after a decade of failure, and there are no good answers to the question.
Steichen only works with what Ballard gives him in terms of the roster, but the head coach hasn't been good enough either. In three-plus seasons, he is three games under .500. Worse, he is 7-23 against teams with winning records at the time the Colts play them. He is excellent at initial game-planning (Indianapolis scoring on the first drive would not be surprising), but he doesn't adjust well during games. He would be a better offensive coordinator than head coach.
CA. What would you say are the three keys for a Colts victory on Sunday afternoon?
LV: One is the obvious: The defense has to play better. Going back-to-back games with giving up more than 500 total yards is inexcusable. Some of that is due to Week 2 going into overtime, of course, but the defense still needs to be good. Some specific players aren't the problem. Sauce Gardner and DeForest Buckner have been good, but others, such as Justin Walley, have been awful. No one can know for sure that facing a Texans team likely without wide receiver Nico Collins will be a better showing for Anarumo and his defense, but it better be.
Running back Jonathan Taylor has to have a great game. Indianapolis will be missing receiver Alec Pierce, so a lot of the potential explosiveness for the offense will be missing. The Texans will probably crunch the line of scrimmage (they should), so Taylor could be limited. For Indy to win, he can't be.
Lastly, Indianapolis needs to get something special from its special teams. In Week 1, the unit had too many penalties, and in Week 2 was inefficient. The Colts' offense, coupled with a terrible defense, has to get help, and that needs to come from the third phase of the team.
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