Inside Slant

The Sports Xchange

September 29, 2018 at 9:44 am.

Finishing touch has eluded Colts

While the Indianapolis Colts overhauled their coaching staff in the offseason, one glaring trend has continued under head coach Frank Reich.

This team is still struggling to finish games.

Last year’s 4-12 team led at halftime in nine games but won just twice. This year’s Colts (1-2) have had fourth-quarter leads in all three games but been outscored 27-10 in the final 15 minutes. The most recent disappointment was a 20-16 loss at Philadelphia.

Enter the surprisingly winless Houston Texans (0-3), who visit Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday in dire need of a win against their AFC South Division hosts. While the Colts, on paper, are better in many ways than a year ago, they can ill afford another late collapse.

“We know everybody emphasizes (that) everybody is desperate,” Reich said Wednesday. “They are desperate for a win. Every team is desperate for a win.”

The good news is the Colts are only one game behind the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars (both 2-1) in the division. But the Colts are on the road for three of the next four after this game, which makes winning at home even more important.

“I think we can probably look back and say if we hit a couple more chunks in a couple of the first games, then maybe that swings the tide in a way,” said Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, referring to a sluggish offense that’s been too dependent upon short-range pass plays.

“We can always get better and I don’t think I am anywhere near scratching the surface of realizing my full potential, if that makes sense.”

Although Luck has attempted 124 passes, he’s completed just five for 20 or more yards. He averaged a career-low 4.1 yards per completion in 40 pass attempts against the Eagles. Because he missed last season due to right shoulder surgery, that’s prompted questions about his arm strength.

“I know I am at a level where I can make all the throws and I feel confident that I am going out there with my full arsenal, if that makes sense,” he said. “I don’t think anything is physically holding me back.”

A Colts defense led by the standout play of rookie weakside linebacker Darius Leonard has been better than many expected. A 21-9 win at Washington in Week 2 marked the first time the Colts had held an opponent without a touchdown since 2016. Then last week, those same Redskins scored 31 in a double-digit win over visiting Green Bay.

But the key is being able to play complementary football. And that hasn’t happened enough. Twice the Colts defense provided its offense possession in the red zone against the Eagles, but the result was field goals. This season began with an interception return into the red zone against Cincinnati, but Luck gave it back with an interception.

“If he’s not hitting and he needs us to carry the load, so be it,” said defensive tackle Al Woods. “If we’re not hitting, then whoever is hitting has to carry the brunt of the load. I mean that’s just what coach (Reich) has been preaching since day one.”

Reich is understandably frustrated by the offensive stagnation. He won a Super Bowl ring as Eagles offensive coordinator and the initial offensive results seemed promising as the Colts moved the ball well at times with Luck spreading it around to numerous receivers.

But the Colts have failed to score more than 24 points in 14 consecutive games, a dubious distinction that obviously predates Reich but one of which he’s well aware.

Now he must figure out a way to score against a 15th-ranked Texans defense which features three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt at defensive end as well as capable playmakers in outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus and defensive end/outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney. Watt has had four sacks in his last four games against the Colts. Clowney has had 2.5 sacks in his last three series meetings.

“He’s a special player,” Reich said of Watt. “He’s someone you have to know where he is. Clowney, he is a special player. Mercilus is a special player. There’s not just one or two guys, it’s a whole group of defenders.”

The Texans are coming off a disappointing 27-22 home loss to the previously winless N.Y. Giants. But quarterback Deshaun Watson leads an eighth-ranked offense with big-play capability, most notably with Pro Bowl star receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

SERIES HISTORY: 33rd regular-season meeting. Colts lead series, 25-7. The Texans didn’t win at Indianapolis until their 14th visit in 2015. They won again in 2016 for a three-game series win streak overall, but the Colts swept both games last year, including 22-13 at home. The rivals have dominated the AFC South Division, combining to win 13 of 16 titles. The Colts have won nine times.

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