HOUSTON – On the play I’m thinking about, Andrew Luck hands the ball to Marlon Mack. It’s early in the Indianapolis Colts’ 21-7 playoff victory Saturday against the Houston Texans, and the Colts – having evolved from that 1-5 start – are about to show what they have become. And what they have become is something ferocious, something terrifying.
Luck hands the ball to Mack, and the Colts’ offensive line blows open a hole. It’s everyone. It’s center Ryan Kelly and guard Mark Glowinski. It’s tackles Anthony Castonzo and Braden Smith. And now, with Mack breaking into the open, it’s All-Pro rookie guard Quenton Nelson vaporizing the only Texans defender in the vicinity.