History, the Colts’ defensive tackle said, gives him the idea.

Yes, the surging, suddenly-hot Houston Texans have a new quarterback – newly-acquired Matt Schaub – and yes, the Texans have been efficient and versatile in two games this season with their version of the West Coast offense.

That’s all fine, Brock said.

But it’s not what he’s expecting Sunday.

And it’s sure not his focus as he prepares for Sunday’s match-up of AFC South unbeatens.

“We just want to shut the running game down,” Brock said as the four-time AFC South defending champion Colts (2-0) prepared to play the Texans (2-0) at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, Sunday at 1 p.m.

“That’s what they have right now. We definitely know they’re going to run the ball, especially after last year.

“We want to shut that run down and go tee off on their quarterback.”

Especially after last year.

The last time the Colts lost a game was last Christmas Eve, a 27-24 loss to the Texans at Reliant Stadium.

The Texans in that game ran, and ran. And ran some more.

The Texans, who have had a runner rush more than 90 yards in seven of 10 games against the Colts, rushed for a franchise-record 191 yards in that game, and running back Ron Dayne – now the Texans’ backup – rushed for a career-high 153 yards.

he Texans controlled possession for 35:59 compared to 24:01, and although the Colts were efficient offensively – with quarterback Peyton Manning completing 21 of 27 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns – they ran just 45 offensive plays.

This year, the Texans are balanced. They traded with the Atlanta Falcons in the off-season for Schaub, who has completed 36 of 50 passes for 452 yards and three touchdowns in two games.

They also acquired running back Ahman Green as a free agent.

Green in two games has rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries. The Texans have rushed for 228 yards on 67 carries and rank 14th in the NFL in rushing offense.

“They have two excellent runners,” Dungy said. “We did not do a good job on Dayne last year and Ahman Green is a slasher, a faster guy.

“These two guys have controlled the tempo both games this year and they’ve won.”

Said Colts cornerback Marlin Jackson, “They’re doing a great job, mainly because of (Schaub), but Ron Dayne and Ahman Green as well. They’re running well. It’s not just the quarterback, but a total team effort.

“They’ve gotten a lot better and it seems they’re buying into what the coaches are trying to get them to doing down there.”

The Colts, who ranked 32nd in the NFL last season in run defense allowing 173 yards per game, have improved dramatically in that area. They allowed 82.8 yards a game rushing in the postseason last year and are 21st in the NFL against the run this season, having allowed 123.5 yards per game.

The Texans this season have allowed Schaub to be sacked just three times. That’s a contrast to past years, when Houston allowed then-quarterback David Carr to be sacked 249 times the past five seasons.

Pressuring the quarterback, Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney said, always is key for Indianapolis. Stopping the run, he said, is the key to creating pass-rushing opportunities.

“You have to make a team one-dimensional,” said Freeney, who has six career sacks against the Texans. “That’s the biggest thing for any defense in the NFL. You have to get teams to do one thing. Once you have a team that can do both, they can pick and choose when they do everything, that’s when it’s tough. That’s when you get the big scores.”

The Texans’ passing offense received a blow this week with the possible loss of wide receiver Andre Johnson, who had 14 receptions for 262 yards and three touchdowns in the first two games of the season. He sustained a sprained knee this past Sunday and said this week he may not play against the Colts.

With or without Johnson, though, Colts players said history tells them what to expect against Houston. And what they’ll need to focus on Sunday.

“Their running game is huge,” Sanders said. “They definitely have two huge backs. They have a great cutback runner in Ahman and definitely have a downhill runner in Dayne. We have to put a lot of pressure on them and make sure we make the tackle in the hole whenever we get the opportunity.

“That’s our main goal going in, stopping the run. We’re going to do what we do, and try win.”