C.J. Stroud enters Week 3 with 627 passing yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, but the results have been uneven. Against the Buffalo Bills, he completed 26 of 38 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns. Against the Cincinnati Bengals, he threw for 353 yards but failed to produce a touchdown in 55 attempts.
The Bengals game exposed the bigger issue; Houston moved the ball but repeatedly stalled, losing 20-6. That makes the Colts game less about raw passing yards and more about whether Stroud can consistently win individual matchups.
Wide receiver Nico Collins has officially been ruled out for his second straight game because of his hamstring injury. With Collins unavailable, Stroud will have to find answers if Indianapolis plays aggressive man coverage and challenges Houston’s other receivers to win one-on-one.
“Without Collins, Houston has struggled against man coverage. In the Texans’ Week 2 loss, they scored six points and QB C.J. Stroud went 8-of-20 for 102 yards against man coverage,” ESPN’s DJ Bien Aime noted.
Collins had seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown against Buffalo before the injury sidelined him. Against Cincinnati, running backs David Montgomery and Woody Marks combined for only 18 yards on 14 carries, while the offensive line allowed four sacks.
Colts’ Defense Gives C.J. Stroud a Chance to Fix Texans’ Offensive Problems
Indianapolis has struggled badly against the pass. They enter Week 3 ranked 32nd in passing yards allowed per game and 31st in rushing yards allowed, according to the Houston Chronicle. They have also allowed 37 points per game, the most in the NFL through two games.
Indianapolis surrendered 506 total yards and 41 points to Baltimore in Week 1, offering little pushback against a balanced attack. That creates a very different matchup for Stroud than the one he faced against Cincinnati.
The Texans’ defense allowed 36 points to Buffalo in Week 1 but held Cincinnati to 20 points in Week 2. More importantly, the pass rush showed signs of returning to form against Joe Burrow. Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and Logan Hall all recorded sacks, while Houston pressured Burrow throughout the game.
Anderson and Hunter now give Houston a major advantage against an Indianapolis offensive line that must protect Daniel Jones. If Houston’s defense creates short fields or a turnover, Stroud will not need to carry the entire offense.
The Texans can use Montgomery and Marks to force Indianapolis to respect the run before creating man-coverage opportunities for Hutchinson, Noel and Boutte. Stroud also has a chance to lean on Schultz and use play-action to slow down the Colts’ pass rush.
