Joe Mixon force-fed his haters a slice of humble pie in Week 1

Going into Sunday's Week 1 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, all eyes were on Houston Texans second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud. All of the talk was about how good Stroud can be after a promising rookie campaign and a now-elite wide receiver room.

The Texans came away with a narrow victory over their division rival, and Stroud had himself a strong game. But, this one was all about Joe Mixon.

The Texans brought in Mixon this past offseason in hopes that he would revitalize a less-than-stellar back field. Having just turned 28 years old over the summer, Mixon hit that point in his career where many running backs take a significant step backward.

This was the worry throughout camp, as Mixon missed some time.

For a few years now, Mixon has dealt with injuries here and there. Whether it was a concussion, a foot issue or something else, the veteran has had his share of health concerns. So, there were a lot of people who questioned whether or not he had anything left in the tank. Shoot, even we weren't necessarily sold on Mixon.

Some were preparing for an eventual Cam Akers takeover in this back field after the preseason, which would be a pretty low moment for Mixon. He knew he was still capable of playing at a high level, so hearing the doubters and critics loudly over the past month had to be difficult.

Joe Mixon sent his doubters packing with a monstrous Week 1 performance

As it turns out, Mixon is far from done. He carried the rock 30 times for 159 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. Mixon added another three receptions for 19 yards, totaling 33 touches on the day.

He was the heartbeat of this offense for the entirety of the afternoon.

In the locker room, postgame, head coach DeMeco Ryans gave Mixon a game ball for his performance and explained to the media just how valuable he was to the team's victory.

"Joe, he stepped up big time for us. We needed him to run the ball. He did. They (Colts) knew it was run. We knew it was run, and he still made the plays. I'm excited to have him on our side," Ryans said.

For anyone who thought Mixon was a poor signing, for anybody who may have thought Mixon was cooked, and for anyone else who had something to say about the Texans' back field not necessarily being fortified, Mixon closed their mouths.

It was an emphatic, "I'm still here" performance for the former Cincinnati Bengal.

Mixon is going to be a big part of this offense. If we learned anything on Sunday, it was just that.