Colts-Texans preview: Week 1 NFL guide, analysis, prediction
The first Sunday of the 2022 NFL season features a must-see matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans, both of which will be led by new quarterbacks to start the year.
FOX Sports’ staff of NFL writers has assembled a guide to every Week 1 contest. Be sure to check back throughout the coming season for weekly matchup analysis and game predictions.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
Overview: Both these teams decided they were far better off with a different quarterback at the helm. So the Colts dumped Carson Wentz this offseason and grabbed veteran Matt Ryan off the Quarterback Carousel with the hopes that he can rejuvenate their passing game. Their offense is built around RB Jonathan Taylor, who was the NFL’s best runner last year, but they need more than one dimension to compete in the stacked AFC.
The Texans moved on from Deshaun Watson, dealing him to Cleveland for a package headlined by three first-round picks. That should jumpstart their rebuilding process, which still has a long, long way to go.
Related: Warren Sharp ranks the NFL’s 10 most accurate QBs
Matchup to watch: Colts RB Taylor vs. Texans linebackers
Taylor was an MVP candidate last season, posting 1,811 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. His explosiveness puts pressure on every member of a Texans defense that ranked 31st overall and 31st vs. the run last season — and it might not be much better now. Houston’s best hope might be to keep the ball out of Taylor’s hands as much as possible by grinding out offense behind impressive rookie running back Dameon Pierce. But that’s a lot to ask.
Related: Colts, Buccaneers head Cowherd’s predicted NFL standings
Key stat: Ryan is the Colts’ sixth different Opening Day starter in the past six years. That’s a remarkable run that includes, in order, Scott Tolzien, Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers and Wentz. So yeah, the Peyton Manning days are long gone. The Colts have also lost eight straight season openers — the longest active streak in the league. Expect that to change Sunday.
Prediction: The Texans were bad at everything last season and figure to be one of the league’s worst teams yet again. They have intriguing young players on both sides of the ball, but not nearly enough to sustain things with a very questionable quarterback in Davis Mills. Meanwhile, the Colts are a contender and really in a different league than Houston. That should be clear in this rout. Colts 34, Texans 10 — Ralph Vacchiano
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