Colts’ Stat of the Game: Week 2 @Texans

Clean game all around, and a solid first win of the season.

Colts get 6 sacks, allow none / Colts 5.5 yards per carry, Texans 2.0

Football is won and lost in the trenches, that point was emphasized by Ballard ever since he was appointed as the general manager of the Colts, and yesterday’s was a game defined by it. The Colts dominated the offensive and defensive line, and managed to get an easy win as a result of it, winning 31-20 against a divisional rival and securing the first Steichen vs. Ryans showdown.

The Colts’ offensive line continued their dependable start to the season, which is a breath of fresh air a year after they nearly got Matt Ryan killed. The Texans’ had just one quarterback hit by Will Anderson Jr. early on in the game and then it was clear sailing. Neither Minshew nor Richardson were sacked on their 33 passing attempts, and even though they were going up against a Texans’ front that features some competent pass-rushers like Anderson Jr. or Jonathan Greenard, they managed to keep the quarterbacks up right. It also helps that both Minshew and Richardson get the ball out lighting quick. Even more encouraging is the play of center Ryan Kelly, after being a serious cap casualty candidate this past offseason.

The defensive line had one hell of a game, spearheaded by Deforest Buckner who is enjoying the best start to a season in his career. E.J. Speed, Kwity Paye, Buckner, Samson Ebukan, Taven Bryan, and former Texan Jake Martin all got on the sack list, and the Colts’ added 9 quarterback hits. You could tell that Stroud was uncomfortable all game long, and it really affected the rookie quarterback. It is worth noting that the Texans’ were rolling out an offensive line comprised entirely of backups, but it still is nice watching the unit dominate when they should.

Pittman Jr. once again dominates the target share.

Pittman has established himself as the clear-cut #1 passing option in the offense, as he has over 30% of the total targets of the team so far. A bit of an underwhelming start of the year for sophomore Alec Pierce, who has just 5 targets in the first couple of games.