No place to run
Watson & Co. fail to generate much with rushing attack, tallying just 89 yards in loss
Lamar Miller nets 33 rushing yards as Texans’ ground game is stymied.
Veteran running back Lamar Miller barely had a moment to react inside the Texans’ backfield before he was repeatedly slammed to the ground in territory invaded by an aggressive Indianapolis Colts’ defense.
The Texans’ traditionally powerful running game skidded to a halt Sunday, rendering the entire offense one-dimensional.
Between the lack of holes for Miller to run through and quarterback Deshaun Watson being under heavy duress as he was sacked five times, the Texans’ offense was ineffective. They were unable to keep pace with the productivity of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck during a 24-21 defeat at NRG Stadium that ended a franchise-record nine-game winning streak.
By halftime, Miller had negative-5 yards on six carries. He finished the game with just 33 rushing yards on 13 carries, an average of 2.4 yards per run. And the Texans rushed for just 89 yards on 25 carries with Watson leading the Texans with 35 yards on five runs.
“We came out slow on the offensive side of the ball,” Miller said. “We have to do a better job of being prepared. I think they did a great job of twisting up front and keeping us off-balance. We’ve got to find a way to come out and play faster.”
The blocking was substandard, and the Colts consistently beat the Texans to the punch with a series of line stunts to gain penetration.
Rookie linebacker Darius Leonard, an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate, had 12 tackles and one sack. Defensive lineman Denico Autry had two sacks and two tackles for losses.
“We know we didn’t play well,” Texans left offensive tackle Julie’n Davenport said. “It’s all on us. We’ve got to be better.”
QB off on some deep throws
Watson had his moments, completing 27 of 38 passes for 267 yards, one touchdown to All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and no interceptions for a 99.3 passer rating. Watson didn’t perform quite as adeptly as Luck, who passed for 399 yards and two touchdowns.
Watson missed some open deep throws, including one potential touchdown to Hopkins and another misfire on a throw intended for wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.
“It was decent,” Watson said of his performance. “The plays I tried to make, missed two deep shots, kind of rushed it on the deep balls. Everyone in our offense could have played better. Games like that happen. It’s a good learning lesson for us.”
Watson kept the Texans relevant with his legs, repeatedly buying time to throw. There were other times when he needed to make a faster decision.
“I mean, it’s part of my play,” Watson said. “Sometimes, you can’t get rid of the ball early. You throw it early, they’re sitting there on it. They get paid. They watch film, too. I’m trying to direct them one way. They’re trying to bait me, throw the ball, so they can pick it off.
“Sometimes, I know I need to throw it away. Sometimes when things aren’t going, somebody needs to make a play. Sometimes, it backfires. Sometimes, it works. If it works, everyone is cheering.”
Hopkins held in check
Hopkins caught 10 passes in the first game against the Colts, a 37-34 overtime win keyed by his 24-yard overtime reception to set up the game-winning field goal. This time, Hopkins was held to just four catches for 36 yards on 10 targets.
“They did a good job of playing us,” Watson said. “All they did was two or three coverages, play Cover-2, Tampa. Sometimes on third down, they brought pressure. They got to us. They did a good job of trying to sit on everything, playing their keys and that’s it.”
The Texans converted just five of 15 third downs, but it was an inability to get into more manageable down-and-distance situations on first down that hurt them a lot.
The Texans finished the game with 315 yards on 68 offensive snaps, averaging only 4.6 yards per play.
“We didn’t play well as an offense,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “We were never able to get into a rhythm. Our first-down offense was terrible. I mean, it was awful.
“We lost yards on first down probably between eight to 10 times. It was awful. When those things happen, it’s really just the whole unit, starting with me, making sure that I do a better job with them this week.”
Tight end Ryan Griffin caught all five passes thrown to him for a team-high 80 yards. The offense had a difficult time adapting to the Colts’ coverage schemes and pressure packages.
The failure to effectively run the football affected everything the Texans wanted to do, though.
“This is as disappointing as it gets,” Griffin said. “The flow to the game was difficult. We pride ourselves on running the ball. Their movement up front, they had the sense of urgency.”