Week 1: Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts Overview

The new-look Houston Texans roll into Lucas Oil Stadium to face a rejuvenated Indianapolis Colts squad in week one.

Following an eventful offseason and many weeks of training camp, practice, and preseason games, the time has finally come where football fans can rejoice and watch their favorite team hit the field once again.

Although, for Texans fans, this week is uniquely special.

For the first time since 2019, Houston enters the NFL season with real Super Bowl hopes. It spent a lot of money this past offseason acquiring stars on both sides of the field to help boost this young squad into the championship contending tier of teams, adding Stefon Diggs to its wide receiver room, star running back Joe Mixon and pairing Danielle Hunter with rookie sensation Will Anderson Jr. to boost the pass rush.

This upcoming Sunday, not only do we get our first look at this new team, but the squad also faces a big test with the hungry Colts looking for revenge after a tough week 18 loss that ended their season.

Indianapolis, healthy and hungry

Although last season didn’t end the way they wanted it to, the Colts have a lot to look forward to this season. They look to showcase their young talent in week one as the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft Anthony Richardson returns to the field after missing more than half of last season with a shoulder injury.

Jonathan Taylor, who missed seven games last season, also returns fully healthy and ready to go. The team also added rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to their offense, who should get plenty of playtime in week one with Josh Downs’s availability in question. Mitchell and star wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. should anchor the receiving core for Indianapolis in week one.

The Colts will also get their first look at edge rusher Laiatu Latu, who they drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. They pair him with star defensive lineman DeForest Buckner to help boost the pressure up front.

Game Predictions

Although the Texans are -2.5 favorites for this weeks matchup, expect this game to be a dog fight and a potential shootout. After all, last season they split their matchups.

Colts’ X-Factor: The Run Game

Anthony Richardson played just one half of last season’s week three matchup against Houston, but still managed to throw for 56 yards, run for 35 more and score two rushing touchdowns.

Jonathan Taylor torched the Texans on the ground in their week 18 matchup, taking 30 carries for 188 yards and a touchdown.

Houston played fairly well against the run last season, allowing just 96.6 rushing yards per game, however, they allowed the Colts to rush for 176.5 rushing yards per game over two games last season. Expect Indianapolis to put its ground game on display once again in week one.

Texans’ X-factor: The Air Raid

Houston’s franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud looks to build on his spectacular rookie season and take the next step in his career to help lead the team to its first Super Bowl this season. He ended last season with 4,108 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions despite the team missing standout rookie receiver Tank Dell for the latter half of the season, and multiple injuries to the offensive line.

Stroud now enters year two with a fully healthy O-Line and new tools in his offense to play with, making him a popular pick to win MVP in 2024. Last season, he left a sour taste in many Colts fans’ mouths after torching them in week 18, sending Indianapolis home. He threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75 yards touchdown on the offense’s opening play to breakout receiver Nico Collins.

Collins had 9 catches, 195 receiving yards and a touchdown in that game, and I expect him to do more of the same once again in week one. Dell and Diggs will also get their share of the targets, but Collins and his unique combination of size and speed should give the Colts’ thin secondary a hard time once again.

Score Prediction

As I mentioned before, I expect this game to be a shootout, but ultimately, I believe the Texans’ star power will prove to be too much for the Colts. I trust that DeMeco Ryans and his defense will make the key stops late in the game to help pull away from Indianapolis. Derek Stingley Jr. and the rest of Houston’s secondary should give Richardson many problems in his first game back. I have the Texans winning, 34-24.