Loss of control
Offensive missteps allow Colts to force overtime, pave way for tie
There came E.J. Speed, sprinting free off the left edge, a blitzing Colts linebacker whose football-jarring sack sent the Texans’ offense spiraling into dysfunction. Houston held a two-score lead at the time, a stunning fourthquarter position over the touchdownfavorite division rival. Within minutes the lead evaporated along with any sign of yards or points or confidence.
Lovie Smith indeed lacked confidence during Houston’s 20-20 tie, the first in the franchise’s 21-year history. After failing to generate positive yards on the first drive of overtime, after Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship nicked a potential gamewinning field goal wide right, after veteran running back Rex Burkhead was stuffed for a 2-yard loss on third-and-1 near midfield on the ensuing drive, Smith chose to punt with 20 seconds remaining.
The decision clashed with the franchise’s offseason rhetoric that it is devoted to winning. But it revealed that Smith and the Texans’ coaching staff still quietly reserve doubts about an offense that totaled 299 net yards in offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton’s debut as the team’s play-caller.
Burkhead was given the ball on third-and-1 with the game on the line, while Dameon Pierce, a rookie heralded for his downhill running style, watched from the sideline. Pierce rushed for 33 yards on 11 carries, a significantly lower yards-per-carry average (3) than his preseason totals against reserve units (7.8). The fourth-round pick from Florida had tripped in the backfield on a second-quarter run, and Smith said Burkhead’s versatility as a pass-catcher and pass-protector resulted in Pierce’s seeing less time on the field.
But there’s no telling whether Pierce’s presence would have made any difference. Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart swam past Texans starting center Justin Britt and devoured Burkhead almost immediately after Davis Mills handed off the ball. Smith said the Texans were prepared to run two offensive plays entering that pivotal third down, and that tackle for loss was enough to change his mind.
“We want to execute better on offense,” Mills said. “Respect Coach’s decision to do what he did. But when it comes down to it, we could’ve done better on first and second down and third down to convert. It’s on us.”
The story of Houston’s offensive downfall began with Speed’s sack. The Texans were up 20-6. Their disruptive defense had just held the Colts to a field goal at the goal line, with No. 3 overall pick Derek Stingley Jr. launching himself horizontally to swat down a potential touchdown pass. Then an offense that had produced 343 yards up to that point took the field.
The Texans totaled negative-2 yards on their next four drives. An offensive line that had kept Mills relatively clean all game succumbed to the Colts’ pass rush. On second-and-6 at the Texans 29, Speed clobbered Mills from the blind side, brushing off the left edge while twotime Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and rookie left guard Kenyon Green were occupied with the same defender.
Smith and Tunsil deferred their analysis to film review. Still, Smith said, “no matter what the situation, bad on our part.” The fumble was detrimental.
“It changed things completely,” Smith said. “We had control.”
Hamilton’s tight-end heavy, fullback system endeared itself to Smith’s oldschool appreciation. Even after Colts running back Jonathan Taylor scored a 2-yard touchdown to pull Indianapolis within 20-13 with 7:46 remaining, the Texans were constructed to seize control of a game with an imposing and physical rushing attack. When they had a chance to turn to their backfield and bleed the clock to victory, they failed.
Burkhead and Pierce collected a first down on two runs to begin the following drive, then were each stuffed for 1-yard gains on consecutive runs. This forced the Texans into a low-percentage third-and-8, and Mills overshot a pass to Nico Collins along the left the sideline.
Mills later said he sometimes found himself not on the same page with his receivers. One particular throw might have kept crucial points off the board. The Texans began the second half with a shocking flea-flicker on which Brandin Cooks was streaking alone down the middle of the field. Cooks had to slow down for Mills’ throw, and the receiver was dragged down at the Colts 33 for a 42-yard gain. Four plays later, Ka’imi Fairbairn made a 43-yard field goal to extend Houston’s lead to 13-3.
Mills finished the game 23-of-37 passing for 240 yards and two touchdowns, an indication of the team’s early offensive success. Hamilton, the Colts’ offensive coordinator in 2014 and portions of 2015, debuted against his former employer a creative shuffle of personnel groups. Aside from standard three-wide receiver packages, the Texans never used any other look more than 14 percent of the time.
The Texans saw most of their success in three-tight end packages, in which they exploited defensive mismatches with recently acquired free agent O.J. Howard. Mills tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass and a 22yard score to the 6-6, 251pound former Buccaneer by using virtually the same play, Howard said.
Howard’s productivity at a position of shaky depth highlighted the team’s lack at wide receiver. The Texans are still searching for more playmakers at the position following second-round wide receiver John Metchie III’s leukemia diagnosis, and recently claimed Tyler Johnson was made inactive after just one week of practice.
Collins and Chris Moore were the only receivers other than Cooks to catch passes, and their five combined catches for 57 yards underlined why Mills was unable to find open receivers on crucial plays toward the end of the game.
Mills held the ball for an extra beat searching for a receiver on the first play of overtime, and he was dropped for a 7-yard sack that eventually forced a punt.
“It’s tough,” right tackle Tytus Howard said. “Tough. We didn’t finish.”