A misunderstanding regarding blocking assignments caused Indianapolis Colts linebacker E.J. Speed to rush Texans quarterback Davis Mills completely unimpeded and unblocked, resulting in a sack and forced fumble.
DeForest Buckner, a defensive tackle, recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter, which set up Jonathan Taylor for a touchdown run as Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil and left guard Kenyon Green struggled to deal with two blitzing linebackers, the defensive line’s charge, and the game-changing run of Speed into the backfield.
After the Texans blew a 20-3 lead and were outscored by 17 points in the fourth quarter before a scoreless overtime, coach Lovie Smith decided to punt on fourth down after running back Rex Burkhead was stuffed on 3rd-and-1 for a two-yard loss. This ultimately led to the Texans and Colts’ 20-20 tie at NRG Stadium.
Following a strong start that featured two touchdown passes to new tight end O.J. Howard, the offence was stymied by an unproductive running game that managed just 77 yards overall and 2.8 yards per carry as the Colts defence shut them down.
The Texans’ offence ran out of options late in the game as Mills completed only 3 of 7 passes for 26 yards on the final three drives in the season opener. This was due to a pair of late sacks by Colts edge rusher Kwity Paye, false starts in overtime, and no discernible running game.
The 0-0-1 Houston Texans must improve their effectiveness and reliability going into Sunday’s away game against the 0-1 Denver Broncos because they will be facing a defence that is led by pass rushers Bradley Chubb and Randy Gregory as well as promising young cornerback Patrick Surtain Jr.
Pep Hamilton, the offensive coordinator for the Texans, said, “We’re going to learn how to finish games the way we love to finish them, which is running the football well.
“We’re going to clear that up. There were times when we thought we could have a chance to run the football more effectively.
I need to do a better job of thinking of methods to make the most of our backs’ skills while giving our front-line players the best opportunity to form double teams and do their duties as well.
With just 299 yards of total offence and an average of 4.4 yards per play on 68 possessions, the Texans were mostly ineffective.
In terms of net yards gained, the Texans defeated the Colts 130-24 in the third quarter, but they were unable to maintain their strong start.
Hamilton remarked, “I felt like there were times when we had a rhythm.
“We were successful in moving the ball effectively.
We made a couple big plays, but we also missed a lot of big chances on the field.
The more our group plays together, the more we hope that the general communication and play speed will increase.
Stephon Gilmore of the Colts, a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, nearly intercepted Mills on a crucial third down in the final minutes of regulation because he and wide receiver Brandin Cooks were out of sync.
Despite Cooks’ seven receptions for 82 yards, this was undoubtedly a squandered chance.
“Brandin and I were on a little bit of a different page on a third down late in the game,” said Mills.
“Things like that will appear.
It’s advantageous that it occurs early in the season so that we can discuss it, make corrections, and ensure that everyone is on the same page and working efficiently.
After a strong preseason, rookie running back Dameon Pierce only managed 33 yards on 11 runs. The Texans want to get more out of their running game and intend to increase his workload.
Hamilton remarked, “We simply need to get more first downs.
“We need more chances to simply run more plays overall.
We prefer a quicker start.
We also want to get done quickly.
We wanted to finish with the ball in hand and in a victory formation, like we constantly talk about doing, but it didn’t happen.
Compared to the Texans last week, the Colts had 13 more first downs with 33.
Only four first downs were gained by the Texans on the ground.
Hamilton added, “We started that game, we went three-and-out, lost chances on third down for whatever reason, and that just affects the overall volume of runs and plays that you’ll run over the course of a game.
The Texans expected the football to be distributed to a number of targets, but that didn’t happen as frequently as they had planned.
This includes towering 6-foot-4, 215-pound second-year wide out Nico Collins, a former third-round draught pick from Michigan.
While rookie tight end O.J. Howard scored two touchdowns on two passes to him in his first game with the Texans, Collins only managed two catches for 26 yards on three targets.
Collins stated, “It’s the first game, it’s early in the season, and we just started.”
“There is a chance to improve on last week’s work and move things further.
Definitely, there is a lot of confidence.
We’re still constructing.
Season just got underway.
It’s just been one week.
Mills had a passer rating of 98.9 after completing 23 of his 37 attempts for 240 yards, two touchdowns, and no picks.
Collins just completed his rookie season, during which he caught 33 passes for 446 yards and one score on 60 targets, averaging 13.5 yards per catch. He would like to incorporate Collins more this year.
Mills explained Collins’ lack of touches by saying, “Game-plan stuff, he has routes.”
When we see him lined up with someone one-on-one on the backside as the X receiver, we trust that he will win. He has individual routes.
In other instances, he will merely be incorporated into an idea as the initial one, two, or three progressions.
He’ll gain the ball naturally and make significant plays for us.
Mills regularly went to Burkhead when he wasn’t throwing to Cooks.
On eight targets, Burkhead caught five passes for a total of 30 yards.
Chris Moore, a wide receiver, was the second most targeted player and had three catches for 31 yards on three targets.
The direction we are attempting to take with the football is intentional, but the defence also has a part to play, according to Hamilton.
“It will happen the more we just keep thinking of ways to feature all of our people.
I do believe there were times when we might have been able to move on to different goals and continue the improvement.
We’re attempting to involve all the guys.
The Texans’ pass protection issues against the Colts might be an indication of more to come.
A difficult defence to play against, the Broncos have a lot of speed coming off the edges.
Both teams have strong pass rushers who come off the edge, fire off the edge, and make plays, according to Mills.
“I believe that our tackles and the men on the edge will be able to protect against that and are confident in their ability to face anyone.
They are going to follow the game plan, do their part, and research those players’ pass rush techniques and assault plans.
I’ll have ample time to make plays to those players on the edges because we’ll be able to block them up.
The offence of the Texans is in upheaval.
They want to run the football, but one year after having the statistically worst running game in the NFL because of Rex Burkhead, David Johnson, Phillip Lindsay, and Mark Ingram Jr.’s experiment, they haven’t shown that they are successful at that tactic.
Hamilton added, “We have quite a few young players that are still racking up playing time in this league but really just getting their footing as professional football players.”
“Experience cannot be taught.
We hope that some of the wounds you acquire along the way serve as a reminder to carry out the necessary actions to succeed in this league.
After being elevated after Lovie Smith was named head coach, Hamilton’s first game as the Texans’ offensive coordinator occurred in this one.
Hamilton wants to put many of his original ideas into practise.
Players’ errors contributed to the lack of a greater offensive performance.
Overall, there is a great deal of faith in Hamilton’s strategy and playbook.
Cooks said of Hamilton’s debut, “I thought it was terrific.
“I believe that players must be able to aid in execution at the end of the day.
He obviously judges himself harshly because he starts over.
We must be able to carry out those tiny tasks and negotiate the finer points.
You can see in him a sense of urgency that drives to the offence.
