The Houston Texans have already played a pair of games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans, but thanks to the NFL schedule makers, the Texans have not yet hooked up with the Indianapolis Colts this season. However, that will change this Sunday afternoon when the Texans head north to take on the Colts.
Texans are 3-1 against the Colts since DeMeco Ryans and Shane Steichen took over as the head coaches in Houston and Indianapolis respectively in 2023, but despite the fact that Houston has a 3-1 edge, Indianapolis has +2 scoring margin over Houston in those four games.
It's also worth noting that is a much different version of the Colts than the Texans have seen in any of those four meetings. Sure, the Colts won 9 games in 2023 and 8 games in 2024, but there's no question that this group is far superior to either of those two versions of the team. And during his media availability on Monday afternoon, DeMeco Ryans explained what separates this version of the Colts from any other one that his team has faced in his tenure.
"For the Colts, you can see they've been a very explosive offense. What's powered them this year, I think Daniel Jones is playing the most productive that he's played in his career. Shane [Steichen] has done a good job of putting him in positions, putting guys around him to really make the plays he needs to make," Ryans said, according to Jared Koch of Sports Illustrated. "So you have explosive receivers on the outside, the rookie tight end is doing a good job as well. And then, of course, running the football, Jonathan Taylor, and can't say enough good things about him as a running back."
That's a lot of talent to account for, and few defenses this year have had much luck doing so. The Colts are the highest scoring team in the NFL heading into Week 13, averaging 31 points per game through their first 11 contests of the season, a testament not only to players like Taylor -- who is leading the league in both rushing yards and touchdowns -- Jones, rookie tight end Tyler Warren and a deep crop of talented young receivers, but also to how effectve Steichen has been at dialing up the right plays at the right time all season long.
"You gotta play true... you gotta play with elite eye discipline, elite awareness to what your job is and being on it. Because if not, you know, Shane has always done a good job, you know, offensively of creating, you know, eye candy, as I call it, to mess with guys' eyes, to put their guys in position to make plays," Ryans continued.
Fortunately, DeMeco Ryans isn't unarmed as he leads his troops into this gun fight against the Colts. Behind him is the best defense in the NFL... a unit that is loaded with eventual Pro Bowlers and ranked first in both points and yards allowed this season.
“Well, I know they got a really friggin’ good pass rush. Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson are as good as they get right now on the edge," Steichen said on Monday, per Mike Chappell of FOX 49 Indianapolis. "It’ll be a helluva challenge for us. We’re looking forward to that opportunity to get back to work this week and go through our process and go through our preparation to get ready for Sunday."