Texans film room: Mental mistakes pile up in blowout loss to Colts
Brooks Kubena, Staff writer
Oct. 19, 2021Updated: Oct. 19, 2021 5:26 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS — Welcome to Film Room, where we’ll break down significant portions from the Texans’ last football game. Have a seat. Set the phone aside. Let’s dive in.
Colts 31, Texans 3: How it happened
Search in secondary continues: A constant rotation of defensive backs signaled a problem that was not laid open and exposed until Carson Wentz and the Colts carved up a discombobulated Texans secondary with a series of wide-open throws that produced two touchdowns and several large gains.
Despite the defense forcing six interceptions in the first five games, which doubled the total in 2020, defensive coordinator Lovie Smith and his staff still were not pleased with the open throws and communication gaffes that were becoming too frequent.
The collective rhetoric foreshadowed a fifth different lineup against the Colts, which is exactly what happened.
“Everybody’s different,” safeties coach Greg Jackson said Thursday. “So, that’s why we’re trying to put guys at different positions, just to see what they can do and see who’s the best guys that can play together down after down. That’s the most important thing, and we haven’t found that yet.”
The Texans' game plan against the Colts called for plenty two-high safety looks — when two safeties split the field in two deep halves — with a built-in flexibility that enabled either safety to drop down closer to the line to play against run-heavy offensive packages.
The plan required two versatile safeties with keen instincts and strong communication to be successful, and Lonnie Johnson, who’d started in three straight games, had struggled on deep passes in starts against the Bills and Patriots. Johnson, a converted corner, had not yet played strong safety and didn’t have much experience playing against the run close to the line.
Terrence Brooks, an eight-year NFL veteran, started in place of Johnson opposite Justin Reid. But stopping the run was not Houston’s initial issue on defense. The Colts threw the ball on nine of their first 11 plays, and the receiver-heavy packages eventually broke through two-high looks that are structured to prevent deep passes.
Wentz thrived against Houston’s two-high configurations, and, although not knowing the exact zone and man assignments makes pinpointing the exact issue unclear, the bottom line remains that the Texans defense could not stop the pass even when they were organized to defend it.
Wentz vs. Texans coverage configurations
• Two-high safeties: 8 of 13, 195 yards, 2 TDs
• One-high safety: 3 of 7, 28 yards
“Prevent the big play” was even one of the three main points Texans coach David Culley delivered the team the night before the game. Instead, Culley said, the secondary repeatedly had players in the wrong place and not playing their correct keys.
“Those are mental mistakes,” Culley said. “Very frustrating. They’re very frustrating.”
On third and 3 at the Colts 49 (sequence shown below), Wentz dropped a first-quarter, 51-yard touchdown to wide receiver Parris Campbell against Houston’s two-high that gave Indy a 7-0 lead.
Campbell (red arrow) and Michael Pittman (yellow arrow) ran bisecting routes that forced Reid (circled blue) to pick up Pittman. Campbell ran vertical long enough to toy with the right side of the field, then curled left behind Reid toward the pylon. Brooks reacted too late and couldn’t catch up after Wentz threw the ball.
Whether or not Reid or Brooks were supposed to have additional help is uncertain. Slot corner Tavierre Thomas appears to be manned up on running back Jonathan Taylor from the beginning of the play, and cornerback Vernon Hargreaves drops to cover the flats. Regardless, it’s unlikely any coverage would’ve removed either or both safeties from deep responsibility.
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