–Quarterback Deshaun Watson has completed 14 passes for 20 or more yards. “Yeah, he chucks it deep,” Reich said. “They’ve got some speed when they are throwing it deep. That’s kind of how he made his mark last year. They’ve got a lot of big chunk plays. So, it will be a good test for the defense and a good test for our front to get pressure on him.”
–The Colts’ 10 sacks are tied for third in the league. Last year, they ranked 31st with just 25. “We just push each other and motivate each other to get more sacks,” said rookie defensive end Kemoko Turay, a second-round pick who had 1 1/2 sacks on Sunday, his first sacks as a pro.
–The Colts are averaging just 290 yards offense per game, which ranks 28th. By comparison, the Texans are eighth at 396.3 yards per game. “On third down, those are four-point plays,” said offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni. “Can you convert on third down and keep the drive going and have a chance to get seven scored on that one or are you kicking a field goal?” The Colts were one of five in the red zone at Philadelphia.
–After leading the NFL in third-down efficiency through two weeks, the Colts converted just 2 of 12 against the Eagles. “Last week obviously was terrible situational (football),” Reich said. “But we had been in the previous two games good situationally in some ways. It balances out good and bad. So, what you focus on is what we do, how we game plan, why we are putting in a play, how we are running it and using good fundamentals and technique. It’s still very early in the year to kind of see where it’s all going to fall out.”
–Adam Vinatieri will make NFL history with his next field goal. He’s tied with Morten Andersen (565) for the NFL record. “It’s obviously special, but — gosh dang it — when you do it in a close game and you lose it doesn’t feel quite the same,” Vinatieri told The Indianapolis Star after tying the record with three field goals against the Eagles. “It’s a record that had been a long time coming. But it’s bittersweet. It would be a lot more fun doing it in a win.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 5.3 — Average yards per completion for Luck, the lowest of his career by more than a yard.
