Colts’ injury report, Week 8: Anthony Gould, Sam Ehlinger among those inactive vs. Texans

Who’s inactive for the Indianapolis Colts’ Week 8 matchup against the Houston Texans?

The Indianapolis Colts released their list of inactive players ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Houston Texans. Among those inactive include the list of players below:

Sunday’s injury report is by far the best one of the season for Indianapolis, as they have dealt with a number of injuries to key players through the first seven weeks of the season.

Offensively, the Colts are getting back star running back Jonathan Taylor, who returns to the starting lineup after missing the previous three games with a high-ankle sprain. Indy’s rushing attack hasn’t had a ton of success without Taylor in the backfield, so getting him back is key for the team’s most significant portion of the season over the next month.

With Houston being down two starting linebackers, perhaps the Colts look to lean on the rushing abilities of both Taylor and quarterback Anthony Richardson. The Colts struggled to create a consistent ground game against the Texans in Week 1, so we’ll have to see if the absence of two of their key linebackers makes a difference Sunday.

Defensively, the Colts are getting back perhaps their best player on that side of the ball in defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. Buckner had previously missed the last five weeks with an ankle injury. The Colts’ pass rush has had their struggles at points this season, too, as they’ve recorded just two sacks over their last three games. Having Buckner return is a significant boost and should help Indy with their interior pressure against a struggling Texans’ offensive line.

The Colts are coming off a two-game winning streak and sit at 4-3 on the season. Houston, meanwhile, is coming off a loss to the Green Bay Packers and currently have a 5-2 record. For the Colts, a win on Sunday would mean a tie for first place in the AFC South, as both teams would have 5-3 records. With their toughest stretch of the season starting Sunday, getting a road victory over Houston would also go a long way in increasing the Colts’ playoff chances.