Explosive Indianapolis Colts offense runs away from Houston Texans in 31-3 victory

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts' performance was far from perfect.

But this time the Colts were able to protect the big lead they had built with explosive plays, including a franchise-record run by Jonathan Taylor, running away with a 31-3 win against a hapless Houston Texans team in a game that Indianapolis had to have to keep its hopes alive of turning around a disappointing start to the season.

Finally through the gauntlet the NFL has handed the Colts to open the season, Indianapolis (2-4) has to take advantage of the lighter slate looming in front of it, and Sunday’s performance was a step in the right direction.

1. Carson Wentz lets his arm loose

Forced to largely abandon the classic deep ball the past two seasons because of the quarterbacks under center — Jacoby Brissett didn’t often pull the trigger and Philip Rivers didn’t have the arm strength to throw it consistently — the Colts wanted to get the play back in the offense this season.

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Frank Reich believed he had the quarterback and the receivers to put it back in the offense.

The past two weeks, the Colts have finally started to hit on a few of those, and they built a 10-3 halftime lead by getting two in the same half, the first on a 51-yard touchdown to Parris Campbell and the second on a 52-yard shot up the middle to T.Y. Hilton, playing in his first game this season.

The Colts have always believed they had the players to make those kinds of plays.

But the play design helped. Campbell, who left the game a little while later with a foot injury, came free deep on a play that sent three receivers to the same side of the field, and the Hilton play came on a zone look when the Texans appeared to be playing Cover-2. Hilton attacked the middle of the field, running free with ease, and Wentz fired up the sort of ball Hilton has always been able to run down, tracking it and making the catch.

2. Jonathan Taylor makes his presence felt in the second half

The Colts took a while to get the running game going Sunday.

Indianapolis handed Taylor the ball just three times in the first half, in large part because of the team’s issues on first down: the Colts were in 2nd-and-long too often to keep running the ball in a situation that’s considered to be pass-happy.

But the Texans have one of the NFL’s worst run defenses, and Taylor was able to take advantage after the half.

Taylor opened it by taking a play over the left side, then running away from several Texans tacklers for an 83-yard gain, the longest run in the history of the Colts franchise and the longest run the NFL has seen this year. Three plays later, Taylor punched in the touchdown and set the stage for the rest of his half.

The Colts kept giving him the ball, and Taylor salted it way, rushing 14 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns, as Indianapolis put the game out of reach.

3. Darius Leonard still has a nose for the football

The Colts’ defense struggled at times, giving up completions and yards to a quick-hitting Houston passing game, and failing to get a consistent pass rush despite the Texans playing without three starters on the offensive line.

And Leonard has not been himself this season, largely due to a balky ankle that hasn’t been right despite offseason surgery.

The All-Pro linebacker still has his nose for the football, though. Leonard dropped into a zone on play-action early in the second half and picked off Davis Mills, then ended another drive late by firing a perfectly-timed punch at the ball in David Johnson’s hands, ending any chance the Texans had of getting into the end zone.

Leonard now has two interceptions, two fumbles forced and three fumbles recovered on the season, producing the takeaways the Colts crave even though he’s compromised. Leonard’s opportunistic nature set the tone for the defense, and Isaiah Rodgers added an interception late.