Indianapolis clinched another NFC South Division title on Sunday with a 17-10 win over the scrappy Texans. It was hardly an overwhelming effort by the Colts, but they did just enough to beat Houston, a team that has now lost all 13 of their appearances in Indianapolis.
The Texans were forced to go to their third quarterback, rookie Tom Savage, after starter Ryan Fitzpatrick broke his leg in the second quarter. Savage put up a decent effort for his first ever NFL appearance of note, and Arian Foster and J.J. Watt both had strong showings. Ultimately, though, there just wasn't enough offense with Savage in at QB to threaten a team as strong as the Colts.
Houston Texans – Performances of Note
Tom Savage, QB: +1.7 passing
Breakdown: Savage was able to make some excellent throws during the course of the game, but the lack of familiarity and practice with the offense led to a lot of miscues as well. Simple things like handing the ball off became an adventure on multiple occasions, as did miscommunications with his receivers. Nevertheless, for a rookie fourth round pick getting his first real NFL action, there was a lot to be impressed by.
Signature Play: Q3, 1:48 remaining. Here he drops in a perfect ball for DeVier Posey over the top of Vontae Davis for a 30-yard gain.
A.J. Bouye, CB: +2.3 pass coverage
Breakdown: Starting opposite Jonathan Joseph, Bouye put up his best performance of the season against the Colts. He allowed three catches on four targets for just 14 yards, and added two stops of defense. His 50 snaps were his third-highest total of the season.
Signature Stat: Bouye leads all Texans cornerbacks allowing an NFL QB rating of 80.6 on passes into his coverage.
Ben Jones, OG: -4.6
Breakdown: It's been a real up-and-down season for Jones, with several excellent performances mixed in with several duds. This one fell squarely under the latter category, unfortunately, as he struggled in pass protection and was regularly blown off the ball by Colts linemen. Overall he gave up a sack, a hit and two hurries.
Signature Play: Q2, 5:27 remaining. Ricky Jean-Francois goes right around him with almost no resistance for a sack on Savage.
Indianapolis Colts – Performances of Note
Vontae Davis, CB: +3.6
Breakdown: He gave up just the one catch to Posey all game despite being targeted five times, and had a pass break-up and an interception to go along with it. He also allowed a season-low 12.6 NFL QB rating on passes into his coverage.
Signature Play: Q4, 1:34 remaining. Here he jumps the hitch route to DeAndre Hopkins for the game-clinching interception.
Lance Louis, RG: -2.8 pass protection
Breakdown: Taking over at right guard for Joe Reitz, Louis showed a lot of rust after a six-week layoff. Although this was an improvement over his last outing (a -7.0 effort in Week 9 vs. the Giants), Louis still allowed six QB disruptions against the Texans, including two hits and four hurries.
Signature Play: Q3, 10:27. A late recognition on the stunt from the linebacker leaves Louis waving at air as he gets his quarterback hit.
Pat McAfee, P: +5.8 punting
Breakdown: This was the kind of low-scoring game where field position can have a huge impact, and McAfee was a valuable weapon again for the Colts. He has been stellar all season, coming in as the third-ranked punter, but even still this was his second-best outing of the year.
Signature Stat: On seven punts he put five inside the 20, with a net of 45.6 yards, while allowing just six total return yards.
PFF Game Ball
Pat McAfee's ability to change field position in this defensive struggle earns him our game ball.
Follow Roland on Twitter: @PFF_RolandB
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.