Colts likely to return to rushing roots in Houston

Dec. 4—INDIANAPOLIS — For all intents and purposes, the playoffs have already begun for the Indianapolis Colts.

This version won't be one-and-done like the real thing next month, but the next six weeks will determine the franchise's postseason fate just the same.

It begins Sunday with a road rematch against the Houston Texans (2-9) before a much-needed bye week and a tough four-game finishing kick that includes dates with three fellow playoff contenders.

"We know we've played really good football this year and have failed to close out three games that we should have," Colts head coach Frank Reich said. "Our perspective is if we keep getting better — listen, we acknowledged it (Wednesday), the margin of error in these last five games is slim. It's a slim margin of error.

"What do you do about that? You prepare, you focus and you just keep getting better and build the momentum so that we're playing our best football in December and going into January. Just do what it takes to get in and feel like we have the kind of team that can go somewhere."

What it takes Sunday is likely to begin with the running game.

The Texans have stumbled through an aimless season with a new head coach and general manager and an unhappy franchise quarterback watching from the sideline while a serious legal situation plays out.

The results on the field have been predictable.

Head coach David Culley's crew ranks 32nd — and last in the NFL — in scoring offense (14.9 points per game) and 28th in scoring defense (26.5). Of most importance as it pertains to Indianapolis (6-6), Houston is surrendering 4.5 yards per rushing attempt — ranking 24th in the league and representing the most generous ground defense the Colts have seen in a month.

The New York Jets, who also allow 4.5 yards per carry, gave up 260 rushing yards against Indianapolis on Nov. 4. That was the kickoff to a second straight AFC Offensive Player of the Month award for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for 556 yards and eight touchdowns in four November contests.

He had 145 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries the last time Indianapolis faced the Texans, a 31-3 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium on Oct. 17.

Coupled with widespread fan outrage over the MVP candidate receiving no touches in the third quarter of last week's 38-31 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it could be another long afternoon for the Houston defensive front.

Especially with the offensive line anxious to re-establish its smashmouth credentials.

"It's a certain edge the offensive line has," Taylor said. "That's what you want from an o-line. You want an o-line who — they're willing to get down and dirty, which our offensive line does day in and day out. And they're extremely smart as well.

"So they're able to do things in a technical way that most offensive lines can't do, but it just makes you want to run with that much more of an edge and chip on your shoulder because you know your o-line is like super pumped up, and they're ready to go, ready to run the ball. So you got to make sure you're bringing your 'A' game because all five (linemen) are bringing their 'A' game every single snap."

Houston isn't likely to simply roll over.

The Texans upset the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans 22-13 two weeks ago and dropped a tight 21-14 decision against the Jets last week.

The defense has given up an average of just 17 points and forced a total of 11 turnovers over the past three weeks. So it's clear the players haven't given up the fight.

Which leads to another focus area for Indianapolis — finishing opponents.

The Colts have held a double-digit lead in each of their last nine games, but they've lost three of those contests — including blowing a 10-point third-quarter lead against the Bucs.

It's a critical flaw that could either keep the team out of the postseason all together or cause it to make a hasty exit.

"I think every game is probably different, but we make mistakes at the wrong time or we let up or whatever it is," quarterback Carson Wentz said. "I wouldn't say physically let up, but we just make mistakes, and we don't execute one play and all of a sudden there it goes.

"Again, against good teams we just have to be really dialed in on the details for four quarters, not just three quarters. We can't take a drive off or a snap off. We have to be dialed in those clutch moments so to speak."

Reich said there's no secret weapon necessary to turn things around.

He chats with former Indianapolis head coach Tony Dungy once or twice a year, and he checked in with the Super Bowl XLI champion early this week. Dungy reminded Reich of one his favorite phrases — do the ordinary things in an extraordinary way.

And that's become the theme of this week.

"When I think back to games that we've performed well down the stretch and made the game-winning plays, it was doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way," Reich said. "... It's just doing ordinary things and doing them very well in whatever phase we're in. I think that's really our focus."