"On an otherwise gloomy Sunday, Reggie Wayne gave the Indianapolis Colts a bright spot during their 34-7 mugging at Houston. The 11th-year wide receiver accounted for almost half of the Colts offense and their lone touchdown with seven catches for 106 yards.

He also provided incisive analysis.

"We can't shoot ourselves in the foot offensively," he said after the game. "We can't have holding, can't drop passes, can't fumble.

"I think if we stay third-and-manageable, we're good."

Setting aside the 21 points they gave Houston with a pair of fumbles inside their 20-yard line and a 79-yard punt return, third down is what killed the Colts. They led the league by converting at a 47.4 percent rate in 2010. They went 1-for-9 (11.1 percent) at Houston.

The reason was no mystery.

In six opportunities before their first conversion, a third-and-1 during the fourth quarter, the Colts averaged third-and-14.

First- and second-down errors up front killed them: a sack yielded by tight end Dallas Clark, a facemask penalty on guard Joe Reitz, a blocking breakdown that resulted in a 2-yard loss by running back Joseph Addai, a pair of Kerry Collins incompletions, holding on tight end tight Brody Eldridge and a false start on tackle Jeff Linkenbach."