The Indianapolis Colts have not put it all together in 2018. Andrew Luck has been asked to play a big role at times and has been ineffective at others. The offensive line has shown some signs of improvement Womens Rigoberto Sanchez Jersey , especially along the interior, but the tackle depth is a major weakness. The defense has been very impressive for much of the season, creating pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and making difference-making plays that give the team the opportunity to win football games. The unit has also come up a little short by allowing big drives to get into scoring position late in games.The first and perhaps most important knee-jerk reaction from the Colts and Texans game is that Andrew Luck is completely healthy. All of the chatter and nonsense about hidden issues facing Luck’s throwing shoulder or a lack of arm strength were answered repeatedly today. No quarterback with arm strength or shoulder weakness throws more than 60 times in a ball game including taking numerous deep shots and a ridiculously long hail mary. If Reich was worried about shoulder strength or setbacks, he doesn’t have Luck throw over 60 yards with one second left in regulation.The Colts need to get Zach Pascal more active in the offense every week. This unit lacks a ton of proven talent at wide receiver and Pascal has been a consistent contributor on offense and special teams. Most importantly, he has shown tremendous hands and isn’t dropping key passes at key moments. Nyheim Hines is starting to make his presence felt. He should be rarely used to pick up yards on the ground as a lone running back but he can move all over the field and create the kinds of defensive issues that Reich and Sirianni envisioned when they selected him in the 2018 NFL Draft. It is stunning to think about how far he has come from fumbling away punts in the preseason to looking like a speedy and shifty offensive weapon just 4 weeks into his rookie season.The Colts gave away another winnable game. Remember in Week 1 against the Bengals when Andrew Luck was driving down the field on a would-be game winning drive and Jack Doyle fumbled? Remember when Andrew Luck and the offense had multiple chances to punch the ball into the end zone against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles but failed to do so? Well, mark down another example of a would-be win in your memory.The Indianapolis Colts defense was legitimately responsible for giving up 17 points to the Texans offense during regulation. Andrew Luck led the offense down the field for 31 offensive points. Unfortunately, a bad snap by Ryan Kelly on the goal line and strip sack given up deep in their own territory on another possession resulted in another 14 points for Houston. Frankly, Indianapolis shouldn’t have been in a position to play for overtime and the Texans should have gone home devastated after a thrashing on the road. Sadly, after an impressive four quarters for the defense, overtime saw the group fail to make big plays when they needed it most. Darius Leonard guessed wrong on a key Deshaun Watson scramble on third down. The pass rush couldn’t land when the defense needed a big play. The secondary, safeties in particular, played way too loose in coverage and allowed huge passing plays in front of them to keep drives going.Lastly, the Frank Reich decision to go for a first down on 4th-and-4 in overtime was bad football. If his team of analytics experts played a part in that decision, Reich needs to recognize when football intelligence overrides statistical analysis. This was a game that 1) the Colts really needed to win, 2) they had no business taking to overtime after the offensive disasters of the first half, and 3) has huge implications for the division. You don’t play “aggressive” in your own territory in overtime when a field goal defeats you. Ties may not feel good to a fan base but they will make a difference when tie breakers come into play for playoff consideration later in the year.Unless you don’t care about your chances to make the playoffs, you punt the ball away and take the tie. No-brainer football stuff. Analytics or no.Let’s take a look at how the keys to the game played out against the Texans.Pester Deshaun WatsonFor a second straight week, the Colts found ways to get to the quarterback. There has been a lot of mutually beneficial work happening in the secondary and along the defensive line. Some of the sacks have been due to edge rushers landing with athleticism and speed. Some of the pressure has been the result of excellent coverage from a young secondary. It is certainly fair to recognize that the pass rush is still inconsistent but it is also clear that this group has come a very long way from 2017. The Colts accumulated 7 sacks today Youth Jordan Wilkins Jersey , versus 4 given up against J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney with backups at both tackle spots.Red Zone EfficiencyAfter struggling early in the year, it is a relief to see the Colts score in each of their 4 red zone visits. The first half offense was putrid and did not get much of an opportunity to get in Texans territory but once the ball started moving in the second half, things really started to click.Andrew Luck’s Decision-Making and AccuracyThis is perhaps one of the most impressive single game performances of Andrew Luck’s career. He completed 40 of 62 passing attempts for 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. He did this without T.Y. Hilton for a significant portion of the second half and while facing considerable pressure from Houston’s marquee pass rushers J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney.Of Luck’s incompletions, a half dozen were drops by his receivers. Without those drops, he would have a 75% completion percentage. Other than a couple of passes that were slightly overthrown or underthrown, his accuracy was fantastic. He hit T.Y. Hilton on a 42 yard bomb along the right sideline and threw a hail mary at the end of regulation that went 60 yards down the field.Any suggestion that Andrew Luck’s throwing shoulder is causing a strength issue at this point is comical. His first game back saw him throw over 50 times, this game saw him throw over 60 times and put up a QB rating of over 108. If Luck’s shoulder is causing an issue, it isn’t enough to impact his ability to win football games.Offensive BalanceFrankly, there isn’t any. The Colts have failed to create any threat of a running game and are having to rely entirely on Andrew Luck. Anthony Castonzo’s pending return may play an important role in improving the running game and Robert Turbin’s return from suspension will also help but Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni must find a way to create some balance offensively or Luck will be a sitting duck in the pocket.Slow Down the Texans Pass RushThe offensive line struggled mightily in the first half with J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. Watt gathered two sacks and was credited with two forced fumbles. Watt beat Le’Raven Clark with speed around the edge. The second half?The coaching staff and offensive linemen made some changes that really slowed things down. Luck ran a quick no-huddle approach that was creating real issues for the Houston defense. It wasn’t until overtime that Clowney was able to land another sack with a stunt to the inside beating Quenton Nelson.5 Storylines heading into the Colts’ week one preseason matchup against the Seahawks Football is upon us. Not real football, mind you. But preseason football is still so much better than no football, that we’ll take it with only moderate levels of complaining. With the beginning of the preseason for the Colts, here are some storylines to keep an eye on as these games get underway.The Return of Andrew LuckWhile most Colts fans will have seen Luck throwing and exceeding expectations with regard to his speedy return to form, at the national level there is still a healthy dose of skepticism. It is somewhat understandable, and it won’t truly go away immediately. There will be those who won’t consider Luck back until he has played a whole season without complication.What you can almost certainly expect, is to hear a lot of overreactions to whatever Luck does on Thursday night. If Luck lights up Seattle’s defense, it will be fun to watch. Will it mean much in terms of what to expect from him in the regular season? No. Not really. Relatively vanilla offenses and defenses of the preseason make really determining how good a team will be by their preseason performance nearly impossible. Rather than getting sucked into overreacting to play, whether good or bad, just enjoy getting to see a player as talented as Luck back on the field wearing blue and white.The Running Back RoomPhoto by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesOne of the storylines you can count on being interesting throughout the rest of the offseason is that of the running back competition. While a running back by committee approach will give touches to all the players, there is definitely a guy who will be viewed by the coaching staff as their top guy when the season gets under way. That might mean less than it does for a team like the Cowboys Womens Jack Doyle Jersey , but all the same, a tough competition is underway.With three young running backs on the roster, the Colts backfield is pretty exciting. The running back position is one where the playmakers don’t generally have as steep of a learning curve as positions like cornerback or wide receiver. A great running back can often look great against top competition right away, so long as they get decent blocking. That means that one of the more fun aspects of this Colts team to watch in the preseason will be just how well their line blocks, and how successful the running backs are.Again, with relatively bland versions of the Colts offense being executed, don’t expect anything crazy. However, watching the individual running backs make plays at this stage will tell us a lot about their potential in real games. They will definitely be worth a close watch on Thursday night.Avoiding Devastating InjuriesOne of the worst things about this time of year is the inevitable losses of players across the league to injury. Whether it is season ending or simply becomes a nagging or even temporary setback, injuries rob franchises of a chance to see their teams as they were meant to be. Injuries are always terrible, but losing guys to what can feel like meaningless football is especially frustrating.The Colts have been no strangers to injury, with the most notable obviously being the loss of Luck. However, there are a fair number of injuries already beginning to creep into the locker room for the Colts. None appear to be too serious, but it is still something that bears monitoring. The preseason is valuable to a young team like the Colts that needs to develop and grow. All the same, they’ll be very relieved if they’re able to make it through that time without any significant injuries.The Emergence, or Not, of the Pass RushPhoto by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty ImagesWhen you cannot get to the quarterback, your defense is going to struggle. This is just the way of the modern NFL. The passing game is too well coached and executed to succeed against an offense without hitting their quarterback. The Colts didn’t do that well and spent the draft and free agency overhauling the defensive line.That line is still an unknown quantity heading into this season. With so much youth across the board, and so much unproven talent, there is the real possibility that they could struggle. Of course Womens Adam Vinatieri Jersey , those same things provide a real chance for this line to be vastly improved. With the right coaching and development, some of the young rookies could be future stars themselves. That is what makes this an interesting thing to watch in this first game.How will the rookies Tyquan Lewis and Kemoko Turay look in real game situations? We can only guess. What about guys like Denico Autry and Tarell Basham, who the Colts hope can bring a big spark to that pass rush in the new system? Also unknowns. Can a return to starting with his hand in the ground push Jabaal Sheard to a 10+ sack season? Remains to be seen. All of these players have looked solid in camp but haven’t been cut loose to get after the quarterback. What will they look like when the guy getting the snap isn’t wearing a red jersey? It will be fascinating to see.Can the Defense Take the Ball Away?Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty ImagesThis Colts team is likely to be one with a potent offense. The combination of Andrew Luck, Frank Reich, and a handful of dynamic weapons makes it a near certainty that this will be the case. However, they’ll need to the defense to get it done as well. If the offense has to carry the team all year, they won’t go far. It is too much to ask Andrew Luck and the offense to score 35 points per game, and while they might be up to the task more often than not, it isn’t sustainable as a formula to win championships.However, with such a young defense and so much inexperience across it, there are some things that would be unreasonable to expect. This isn’t going to be a shutdown defense. They’ll make boneheaded mistakes that cost the team. They’re young, and it is guaranteed to happen. The best that we can hope for is that they’ll get better as the season progresses and as they are coached and developed.What we will need to see from this defense, and hopefully something we’ll get a look at in this first preseason game, is the ability to create turnovers. Once Hooker and Geathers are fully in the lineup this should improve. However, the linebackers and cornerbacks need to show the ability to create turnovers, and the same can be said for the guys rushing the passer. Being able to generate turnovers consistently takes this team from being one whose ceiling is likely competing for a wild card spot to a team capable of a deep playoff run. Their defense doesn’t have to be great across the board, but if it can be great at creating turnovers, it will go a long way toward a much improved team.