On the latest episode of Locked On Colts, hosts Zach Hicks and Jake Arthur discuss the Indianapolis Colts' 20-16 loss to the Houston Texans.
On the latest episode of the Locked On Colts podcast on the Locked On Podcast Network, hosts Zach Hicks and Jake Arthur discuss the Indianapolis Colts' 20-16 Week 13 loss to the Houston Texans.
The loss was the Colts' first at home in 2025 and their first division loss of the season. Now at 8-4 following three losses in their last four games, the Colts are tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars atop the AFC South (Jaguars have the tiebreaker), with the Texans a game back at 7-5.
The Colts play the Jaguars this Sunday, again on December 28, and then the Texans the following week to end the regular season, so each game is of the utmost importance now.
On Sunday, Colts quarterback Daniel Jones played his second consecutive game with what is reported to be a fractured fibula. While he played well as a pocket passer, Colts head coach Shane Steichen does appear to be holding back on some of the things he normally calls when Jones is healthy. The Colts haven't used Jones on any quarterback sneaks since the injury, and they have called bootlegs very sparingly.
Outside of Jones, on offense, there were plenty of lowlights, including several drops from the likes of Josh Downs and Jonathan Taylor, some gaffes in pass protection from Tanor Bortolini, and tight end Tyler Warren looking limited as he played through a stomach bug.
On the defensive side of the ball, star cornerback Sauce Gardner exited on the defense's second play of the game with a calf injury. From there, Charvarius Ward Sr. resumed his top boundary corner role, while Mekhi Blackmon and Jaylon Jones filled in for Gardner.
Along with the curveball being thrown at the secondary, the Colts' pass rush was not good enough to keep pressure on Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, who bailed Houston out several times.
Next, the Colts visit the Jaguars at 1:00 p.m. E.T. on Sunday at EverBank Stadium. The game can be viewed on CBS. The Colts have not beaten the Jaguars on the road since 2014.
You can find the audio version of this episode by clicking here, or following below on YouTube:
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Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.