The Houston Texans play against division rival, Indianapolis Colts, this coming weekend to kickoff the 2022 NFL season. The Colts and Texans are bitter rivals, but the Texans lost both games last season against the Colts, and the Texans want this win badly.
The Colts are stacked with former Super Bowl contender Matt Ryan and last season’s rushing leader Johnathan Taylor, who destroys the Texans. This year could be special if they can pull off their first win against the division favorite for the AFC South.
Houston has upgraded big time since last year, meaning Houston fans are eager to see the new-look team. Since last season was the first year of the rebuild, fans expect a significant upgrade with all the recent additions and coaching staff, but what should we watch for against a top-tier contender?
With the Texans facing the Colts this Sunday here are 3 Things to Watch for in Week 1.
3. Can the Texans slow down Jonathan Taylor?
The fifth-ranked player on the NFL Top 100 list entering the 2022 season — which was ranked by the players — Jonathan Taylor is terrifying. Taylor dominated the Texans last season, having some historical games. Those two games against Houston included 145 yards and two touchdowns on Oct. 17 and 143 yards and two touchdowns on Dec. 5.
Taylor has 75 carries for 462 yards — and has scored six touchdowns — in four games versus Houston in his career. The Texans have to figure something out to have a chance to win against the Colts.
Ranked dead last in defending the run last season is difficult to swallow. Houston’s defense has improved leaps and bounds with the additions made and drafted. Houston added Jake Hansen, Kurt Hinish, Jalen Pitre, Steven Nelson, Christian Harris, Mario Addison, Rasheem Green, and Nevile Hewitt to the defense.
Most of the guys have looked fantastic this preseason and training camp, so if they can help Johnathan Greenard and the rest of the unit, they will have a much-improved run defense compared to last season.
2. How do the Texans defend against a former Super Bowl Contending QB?
New Colts quarterback Matt Ryan has been a top-level QB for a very long time and has produced every season he has stepped on the field. Being traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a third round pick is quite the deal for the Colts.
The former Super Bowl contending quarterback is a very high upgrade compared to former Colts quarterback Carson Wentz. Last season with Atlanta, Ryan passed for 3,968 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions on a team that struggled in ’21.
Wentz — who is now the quarterback for the Washington Commanders — with Indianapolis last season threw for 3,563 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. That Colts team failed to win the division and didn’t make the playoffs, as they were unable to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 in a must-win game.
The Colts have up-and-coming star receiver Michael Pittman who is exceptionally talented and large. Pittman last season totaled 88 receptions for 1,082 yards and six touchdowns. So the question is this, Who will defend against him in Week 1?
Will it be new veteran Steven Nelson, Desmond King, or could it be the rookie from LSU, Derek Stingley Jr.?
If Houston can stop the air game, fans can start to feel more confident and excited to see what else the Texans’ defense can do.
1. Can the Texans’ offense keep up?
Last season, the Colts decimated Houston to a total point differentiation of 62-3. The Texans can’t let this happen again, and the new look defense in Lovie Smith’s system will have to show out to stop a dominating run game and much improved passing game.
If the Texans can keep up with the team that dropped 62 points against them last season, that would be a significant victory for the team.
Houston quarterback Davis Mills looks to have improved from all things we have heard from training camp and what we have seen from many videos and performances in the preseason.
Brandin Cooks will continue to perform great, but many eyes are on second-year 6’4″ monster Nico Collins, who dominated all preseason and training camp. If Collins makes the huge jump Texans fans expect, the end zone may be a consistent target for Collins.
The star of NFL preseason was non-other than fourth round selection from Florida, Dameon Pierce. The fourth rounder has already shown that he should have been drafted much earlier than where he was selected.
Granted, it was only preseason, but Pierce might become a star. Even fantasy football players are doing all they can to select him in their fantasy football drafts. Pierce dominated both outings with 86 yards on 11 preseason carries, and his 7.8-yard average was the highest among running backs with at least 10 carries.
If the Texans’ offense can keep up with the Colts, fans’ expectations for this season will skyrocket.