This was a humiliating finish to a solid season
AFC South nemesis Colts were just better in every area, from coaching to performance
The autopsy on the Texans’ carcass that was left for dead by the Indianapolis Colts revealed nothing unusual — just an embarrassing 21-7 beatdown that disappointed a sellout crowd and showed a national television audience how poorly prepared the home team was in this win-or-go-home playoff game.
The Texans closed the season the way they opened it — stinking it up on both sides of the ball. They were humiliated by Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck, who won for the second time this season at NRG Stadium, where the Colts made themselves at home again.
Luck outplayed Deshaun Watson. In the first half, Luck threw for two touchdowns while picking apart the Texans’ secondary by connecting on 16 of 22 passes for 191 yards. He helped the Colts lead 14-0 in the first quarter on the way to a 21-0 halftime advantage.
“They came out better than we did,” Texas coach Bill O’Brien said. “Frank (Reich) did a good job and had his team ready to go.
“They converted some third downs, and before you know it, we were down 14-0. That just changes your whole offensive game plan. You’re almost in somewhat of a two-minute mode at that point because you’ve got to play catch-up.”
Luck, who wasn’t sacked and was knocked down only four times, took it easy on the Texans’ defensive backs in the second half, probably hoping to make sure they return next season. He was only 3-of-10 for 31 yards in the last two quarters, but the Texans couldn’t capitalize because the Indianapolis defense was harassing Watson from every angle.
“They did a good job of stalling us,” Watson said. “We didn’t do a good job of executing the play called. We didn’t make plays. I didn’t make plays. Communication was a little off. You’ve got to give the Colts credit.”
Watson was able to engineer only one touchdown drive in the Texans’ most meager scoring performance of the season. He was 29-of-49 for 235 yards. He had one touchdown pass to Keke Coutee and one interception — his first in seven games. His rating was 69.7.
Interestingly, the Colts were the second team to start 1-5 and make the playoffs. The other was the 2015 Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams won at NRG Stadium in the wild-card round, outscoring the Texans 51-7.
The Texans began this game as if they were running in wet cement, allowing Luck, receiver T.Y. Hilton and their teammates to zip up and down the field on touchdown drives of 75, 74 and 65 yards to build a 21-0 halftime lead.
To make it simple, here is all you need to know about Saturday’s meltdown: O’Brien was outcoached by Reich, and the Texans were outplayed by the Colts in just about every area.
The Colts have won 10 of 11 games after their 1-5 start and moved into the divisional round.
The Texans finished 11-6, including losing three of their last five games. O’Brien and general manager Brian Gaine have a lot to fix in the offseason, beginning with the offensive line and cornerbacks.
Until Saturday, the Texans had not scored fewer than 19 points, and they did it twice, winning both games over Dallas and Denver. The Colts’ defense threw a net over the Texans’ offense, shutting down the running backs and forcing Watson to lead the team in rushing for a fifth consecutive game.
The one thing the Texans thought they could count on was stuffing Indianapolis’ running game. They did it twice in regular season when the Colts accumulated only 91 yards on 40 carries.
Until Saturday, the Texans were one of three teams, including Indianapolis and New Orleans, that had nott allowed an opposing back to rush for 100 or more yards. They didn’t allow a 90-yard back, either. They allowed one 80-yard game, and that was 82 by the New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley in the third game of the season.
Going in, the Texans just knew they would suffocate the run and force Luck to pass. The Colts’ came up with a new plan and got some pile-driving blocks by their linemen, generating 200 yards and a 5.7-yard average per carry.
Marlon Mack, who averaged 2.2 yards in the last game against the Texans, looked like Edgerrin James as he obliterated the Texans’ defense for 148 yards on 24 carries — a 6.2-yard average. He also scored on a 2-yard run.
It was a pitiful performance by a run defense that entered the game third in the NFL this season, allowing only 82.7 yards a game. The front seven just got manhandled by an Indianapolis offensive line that may be the NFL’s best.
The Colts entered the game as the best team in the league on third down, and they converted 9-of-14 (67 percent). The Texans were awful on third down, converting 3-of-13 (23 percent). They also were 2-of-5 (40 percent) on fourth down.
The Texans never did get their offense in sync. Watson was under constant pressure, even though he was sacked only three times, and many of his passes were off target. Once again, Watson was the only player who could generate anything on the ground, finishing with 76 yards on eight carries.
It was too little, too late for a team that showed so much promise rebounding from an 0-3 start to win the AFC South with an 11-5 record, only to be humiliated at home for the second time by a divisional rival.