Texans vs. Colts: What's the Game Plan for Indianapolis?

Each of the last two times the Indianapolis Colts have gone out, they have executed what appeared to be a good game plan on paper, and yet they ended up losing those games to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars by 35 points each.

This is just a long-winded way of saying that no matter how perfectly things are laid out behind the scenes and ahead of time, there is no guarantee that the game will end the way it was planned. But with the Colts desperately needing a win against the Houston Texans or risking missing out on the playoffs, a perfect game plan goes a long way toward achieving that goal.

So how should the Colts go about attacking a Texans team that is in a similar position in regards to how important Sunday’s game is to their playoff hopes? Each of the past two games has been about attacking a weak secondary with a heavy passing attack, but will the Texans be vulnerable to the same strategy or should Indianapolis go about things in a different way?

Let’s take a look at the game plan for the Indianapolis Colts and a few of the key players in Sunday’s AFC South clash.

Offensive Game Plan

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

At times this season, the Colts have played a high-risk, high-reward game of letting the passing attack completely outshine the running game, and it has returned mixed results. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers it worked well, but a week later against the Steelers, Indianapolis lost by 35 points and saw its season derailed.

There can be no such risk-taking in a game of this magnitude, with the Colts needing a win to stay on top of the AFC South. Sunday’s game against the Texans is pretty close to a win-or-go-home matchup and should be treated as such when game-planning offensively.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has had a good season in terms of limiting turnovers, but with his injury woes coming from a brutal offensive line, the team needs to protect the veteran and the ball simultaneously by at least giving running back Frank Gore a shot to establish himself.

Gore had his biggest game of the year last time out against the Texans, so leaning on him as a bell cow isn’t a bad idea, especially if it is coupled with a passing game focused on short and intermediate routes to keep the pressure off Hasselbeck.

If the team falls behind early, things could get ugly with a deep passing attack playing into J.J. Watt and the Texans' hands. A balanced attack featuring quick throws is the way to go and could be the game plan that saves the Colts' season.

Defensive Game Plan

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Unlike offensively, where the team has taken unnecessary risks that haven’t paid off at times this year, the defense has tried being safe as well as risking it all, and nothing has really worked.

The pass defense continues to be one of the worst in the league, with both the secondary and the pass rush unable to find their footing even at this late stage in the season, leaving the Colts in a tough spot against the Texans.

Both of the quarterbacks who tore apart the Colts secondary for Houston are not going to be playing at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday with T.J. Yates set to make the start, and Indianapolis needs to find a way to stop him from getting the ball to star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

Pairing cornerback Vontae Davis with Hopkins is the likeliest outcome in the secondary, and while it isn’t a perfect situation anymore, it still has the potential to be a win for the Colts if everything breaks just right.

Otherwise, the team desperately needs to get a pass rush going and put some pressure on Yates, which means blitzing like crazy, using Robert Mathis constantly and crossing its fingers. It isn’t a perfect plan, but it is the best the Colts can hope for at this point.

Key Matchups and Players

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CB Vontae Davis

If there was ever a week the Colts needed Davis to recapture his 2014 form, it was this week. With a matchup against Hopkins likely set, the play of the star cornerback could be the deciding factor in the game.

Last time out, Hopkins made it look easy against the Colts with 11 catches for 169 yards, and Davis needs to keep those numbers down, especially with Yates likely looking to the young receiver as his safety blanket.

RB Frank Gore

Disappointing performances aside when he’s been given the opportunities, Gore has been relatively underutilized this season by the Colts. More often than not, he finds himself an afterthought after Indianapolis has dug itself a big hole, forcing the team to focus on the passing attack and ignore the run.

Gore’s best game this year came against Houston, with 98 yards and a score in the contest, and if the veteran can recreate that or even surpass the 100-yard mark—which would be the first time in an eternity for Indianapolis—it would go a long way toward pulling off the win.

QB Charlie Whitehurst

Without question, Charlie Whitehurst is the most important player for the Indianapolis Colts in their game against Houston for two reasons. First, if Hasselbeck can’t play or gets hurt, it means Whitehurst will be the team’s quarterback.

Second, and much more importantly, if Hasselbeck is healthy and doesn’t have to come out during the game, it means Whitehurst stays on the bench the entire game, which could be even more impactful for the Colts.

LB D’Qwell Jackson

This seems to be the game plan each and every week, but it is time to roll with it once again: Let D’Qwell Jackson do what he does best and corral the running game while the rest of the defense focuses on stopping the pass.

Jackson leads the league in tackles and has been a force against the run, but he isn’t great in coverage or rushing the passer. So while the other linebackers are focused on getting to Yates, the team’s star linebacker should keep his eyes on Alfred Blue and the Texans running backs.

Prediction

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

The Colts are not as bad as the last two weeks would make the casual viewer believe. Huge defeats at the hands of the Steelers and Jaguars have things looking bad right now for Indianapolis, but all that really matters is what happens Sunday.

Both teams have fallen off since impressive win streaks a few weeks back, and both need a win to control their own destiny in terms of the playoff hunt. Unfortunately for the Colts, the Texans' strengths are the exact way to beat Indianapolis.

With one of the best pass-rushers in the league in Watt attacking a terrible offensive line and a superstar receiverin Hopkins—regardless of who is throwing him the ball—the Texans should be able to handle the Colts on both sides of the ball.

Even if Hasselbeck plays the whole game and Gore hits triple digits, it might not be enough for Indianapolis to secure the win, meaning its grip on the AFC South could be coming to an end.

Prediction: Texans 27, Colts 20