Houston (11-8) at Indianapolis (9-8)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
BetMGM NFL Odds: Texans by 2 1/2.
Series record: Colts lead 32-11-1.
Last meeting: Texans beat Colts 23-19 on Jan. 6, 2024, in Indianapolis.
Texans offense: overall (12), rush (22T), pass (7), scoring (13T).
Texans defense: overall (14), rush (6), pass (23), scoring (11).
Colts offense: overall (15), rush (10), pass (20), scoring (10T).
Colts defense: overall (24), rush (24), pass (16), scoring (28).
Turnover differential: Texans plus-10, Colts plus-2.
Texans players to watch
RB Joe Mixon and WR Stefon Diggs. The Texans won the division — and a playoff game — last season with rookie QB C.J. Stroud. So Houston added two new potential stars — Mixon, who had four 1,000-yard seasons with Cincinnati, and Diggs, who has four straight 100-catch seasons. Sunday will be the Texans’ first real glimpse into how they all fit into this offense.
Colts player to watch
QB Anthony Richardson. Injuries limited him to only four games before undergoing season-ending surgery last October. Fans haven’t seen much of Richardson since. He only played two series in the preseason opener and 1 1/2 quarters in the preseason finale. But everyone wants to see if Richardson improves his accuracy, whether he can stay healthy and how he’ll work together with RB Jonathan Taylor in the backfield.
Key matchup
Stroud against Indy’s secondary. A year ago, the Colts young, inexperienced secondary got exposed for what it was — a youth movement. Indy general manager Chris Ballard didn’t bring in much veteran help during the offseason, opting instead to see whether a full offseason would help these young players grow into their roles. Expect Stroud, Diggs & Co. to test Indy early and often.
Key injuries
Houston listed just one player on its injury report, safety M.J. Stewart with a knee injury that kept him off the practice field Wednesday. … Indy listed only two players, kicker Matt Gay with a hernia and slot receiver Josh Downs, who has been out with an ankle injury since getting hurt in a training camp collision.
Series notes
The road team won each of last season’s games with the second for the AFC South crown on the final day of the regular season. Indy hasn’t lost two straight at home in this series. … Indy was 5-0-1 against Houston from 2020-22. … The Texans are 5-21 all time when playing in Indianapolis. … The two franchises became division rivals in 2002 when the Colts moved from the AFC East to the then newly formed AFC South during Houston’s expansion year.
Stats and stuff
The previous time Houston and Indy met in an opener they played to a 20-20 tie. That was the third opening week matchup, with each in Houston. … Stroud led the NFL last season in yards passing per game (273.9) and touchdown to interception ratio (4.60 to 1), becoming the third player in 50 years to lead the league in both (Tom Brady in 2007, Joe Montana in 1989). … Mixon is one of six active NFL rushers with more than 6,000 yards on the ground. … Texans WR Nico Collins broke the franchise record with 25 receptions of 20 or more yards in 2023. … Houston also signed free agent DE Danielle Hunter in March. He had 16 1/2 sacks and 23 tackles for loss in 2023 with Minnesota. … Colts defensive backs coach Ron Milus is the father of Texans defensive assistant coach Ryan Milus. … Indy is winless in its past 10 season openers, the longest active streak in the NFL. No other team has gone more than three straight years without a win since 2020. … … The Colts have not had a winning record in division play since last making the playoffs in 2020. … Indy has rushed for 200 or more yards in 13 games since 2017, which ranks fifth in the league. … Richardson rushed for two TDs in his only previous matchup against Houston before leaving with a concussion. … Taylor rushed for 188 yards in January’s matchup against the Texans, the league’s highest-single game total last season. He needs 65 yards rushing to pass Tom Matte (4,646) for No. 4 in franchise history. … Taylor’s streak of five straight games with a TD run is the longest active streak in the NFL. … WR Michael Pittman Jr. has caught 336 passes in his career, making him the Colts top pass-catcher through his first four seasons. … S Kenny Moore II needs two passes defensed to surpass Ray Buchanan (56) for No. 3 on the franchise’s Indy era list.
Fantasy tip
Diggs. With many people expecting even more from Stroud in his second season, Diggs is showing no signs of slowing and with the Colts secondary still trying to prove itself, Houston would be wise to give Diggs multiple chances. And with the Colts losing last season’s team leader in sacks, Samson Ebukam, to a torn Achilles tendon, it could create even more opportunities for Diggs.
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