* The more you watch RB Joseph Addai in recent weeks, the more you like what you see. And the more you think about it, the Colts aren’t sharing carries between Addai and rookie RB Donald Brown nearly as much as once might have been anticipated. Brown had some recognition issues in protection a few weeks back and also missed two games with a shoulder injury, and it seems the Colts have decided for now, the offense works better with Addai’s versatility and reliability. The biggest issue is that the Colts’ running game — while not among the league’s best — has gotten progressively better, and early in the season, few believed that would have been the case without Brown playing a major role. Give Addai a lot of credit: despite a lot of nonbelievers and critics, he has put together a nice season.
* The Colts’ defensive effort in the second half was as impressive as anything the unit has done all season. It’s not possible to underestimate the impact of the loss of DE Dwight Freeney, who missed the game with an abdominal injury. The Colts’ pass rush wilted in the second half of 2007 without him, and during that stretch, Pro Bowl DE Robert Mathis had just two sacks. In the first half Sunday, it appeared to be more of the same, with Texans QB Matt Schaub completing 14 of 17 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown and the Texans leading, 20-7. Mathis had a huge sack in the second half, and that was only part of a dominant defensive performance. Although the offense didn’t really get flowing until midway through the fourth quarter, the Colts’ defense kept the game close and eventually the game ended with Indianapolis dominating each side of the ball.
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