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KH — It’s a combination of the two. The Colts are not the team we expected they would be during the offseason. The gauntlet of games to begin the season didn’t help, but the Colts have looked like a dysfunctional unit. They’ve been dealing with injuries to players at key positions and haven’t had their offensive line fully healthy for a game this season. Carson Wentz missed most of training camp and the entire preseason due to injuries and a run in with COVID-19. What we know about the Colts is that they are talented enough to handle poor teams in the NFL but when they have to play up to their competition, they fail to finish games with conviction.

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KH — It’s been fine. He hasn’t really been a part of the major issues that have held the team back but it still remains to be seen whether he’s the solution long-term. He did have an impressive outing against the Ravens in Week 5 on the national stage so he’s certainly trending in the right direction, but it’s hard to fully evaluate his future given all the injuries surrounding him and his own pair of ankle sprains. There are still issues in the red zone and in taking unnecessary sacks, but he hasn’t been a reason for their 1-4 record thus far.

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KH — He’s confidently taken over the WR1 role with T.Y. Hilton starting the season on injured reserve and even though Hilton should be back in the next few weeks, Pittman Jr. is likely to hold onto the role. He’s becoming more nuanced with his route running and is showing more confidence that the catch point, which was one of his top attributes coming out of USC. With a wonderful size and speed combo, Pittman is starting to finally put that together with improvements in his route running.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

KH — I wouldn’t say he has the yips. He was pretty consistent during 2020, his rookie year, but the struggles come from kicking deep. In Week 5, he suffered a hip injury during the first quarter and was clearly limited. It will be interesting to see if that injury impacts his status this week, but he’s pretty consistent inside 50-yard attempts.

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KH — I doubt it. Some fans on Twitter are starting to call for his job. That said, he just signed a contract extension right before the season and while that’s not a guarantee of job security, I don’t think he’s in jeopardy of being fired. Jim Irsay speaks incredibly high of Reich and Chris Ballard loves working with him. There are issues they need to fix and maybe a change comes on the coaching staff under Reich, but I would expect him to be the head coach in 2022 regardless of their record. How they handle the Carson Wentz/draft pick situation could potentially maybe possibly change things, though, so that’s something to keep an eye on later in the season.

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KH — Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad has been the one to replace Justin Houston on the edge. He’s not flashy and doesn’t have the ability to take over a game, but he’s been the most consistent defensive lineman for the Colts this season, which is kind of saying something. Tight end Mo Alie-Cox is a massive human being who is incredibly tough to bring down. He needs to be used in the passing game more often but is good for an explosive play or two every game even if his usage is limited.

(AP Photo/Matt Patterson)

KH — The Colts should come away with a victory at home for the first time this season. The Texans looked competitive against the Patriots, but the Colts will be coming out hungry following their collapse against the Ravens. I have to choose them to win because if the Colts lose this game, they might burn down Lucas Oil Stadium. Colts 27, Texans 18