Colts vs. Texans Week 1 Preview: Matt Ryan Era Begins

Here is everything you need to know about Sunday’s matchup between the Colts and Texans.

Jake Arthur | Sep 10, 2022

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The Indianapolis Colts usher in yet another era of quarterback play on Sunday as Matt Ryan takes the helm as the team's leader.

It's the seventh consecutive season that a different quarterback than the year prior will be under center for the Colts, but they hope that Ryan ends the streak and takes them to the promised land.

There's another streak that the Colts wish to demolish as they've dropped eight consecutive Week 1 contests, displaying some inexplicable performances along the way.

The turning of the new leaf gets underway at NRG Stadium against the Houston Texans this Sunday. Here is everything you need to know about the matchup.

BROADCAST INFO

Sunday, Sept. 11, at 1:00pm ET
Houston, Tex.; NRG Stadium
TV: CBS Sports — Tom McCarthy (play-by-play), Tiki Barber (color)
To find out what games will be on in your area, check here
Radio: WFNI 1070-AM The Fan, WLHK 97.1 HANK FM — Matt Taylor (play-by-play), Rick Venturi (color), Larra Overton (sideline)

ALL-TIME SERIES

Colts lead, 31-9. The Colts have won seven of the last eight matchups dating back to 2018.
Last game: Week 3 of 2021; Colts won, 31-0.

COACHES

Colts: head coach Frank Reich; offensive coordinator Marcus Brady; defensive coordinator Gus Bradley; special teams Bubba Ventrone.

Texans: head coach/defensive coordinator Lovie Smith; offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton; special teams Frankie Ross

INJURY REPORT

Colts

OUT — LB Shaquille Leonard (back)
QUESTIONABLE — OL Dennis Kelly (knee)

Texans

DOUBTFUL — DL Mario Addison (thigh)
QUESTIONABLE — DL Rasheem Green (thigh)

STORYLINES/THINGS TO WATCH

The Matt Ryan Era Begins: Reich has a new quarterback to pull the offense's strings in Ryan. With signal-callers of Ryan's ilk such as Andrew Luck and Philip Rivers, Reich has led the Colts to the postseason. We saw a very vanilla offense from the Colts during the preseason, so now we get to see what another full Reich offense looks like with a heady, accurate quarterback.
Will the Pass-Catchers Be an Issue?: The Colts' pass-catchers (or lack thereof) have drawn the ire of outsiders all offseason. Behind Michael Pittman Jr., everyone is a big question mark, both at receiver and tight end. The truth is, no one knows what to expect from Parris Campbell, Mo Alie-Cox, Alec Pierce, Kylen Granson, and Ashton Dulin. Who will step up and establish themselves as Ryan's go-to guys?
Jonathan Taylor Domination: In four career games against Houston, Taylor averages 20.8 touches for 132.8 yards from scrimmage and has scored 6 touchdowns. Just last year, he averaged 23.5 touches for 150.5 yards and scored 4 touchdowns. As long as the superstar running back is wearing a horseshoe on his helmet, the offense is likely to flow through him with Ryan capitalizing on what the defense gives him. Will we see another heavy dose of Taylor once again in Houston?
New-Look Defense: Much of the Colts' defensive nucleus is the same this year but along with new coordinator Gus Bradley comes defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Brandon Facyson, and safety Nick Cross. How will these parts operate in Bradley's defense, and will they have the same smothering effect against the Texans' offense as they did last year when they won the two matchups by a combined 62-3?

INTRIGUING MATCHUPS

Colts WR Alec Pierce vs. Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr.: Pierce had the intense training of going against a former Defensive Player of the Year in Gilmore throughout training camp. Stingley is a young potential superstar corner. Combining this much length, explosion, and athleticism in one matchup should be fun to watch.
Colts LT Matt Pryor vs. Texans DEs Jonathan Greenard/Jerry Hughes: Pryor is the Colts' new left tackle, and although he figured out how to play against Ngakoue during camp, Greenard and Hughes are also talented, productive pass rushers that offer more power and a different skill set. This is a big test for Pryor right off the bat.
Colts DE Kwity Paye vs. Texans RT Tytus Howard: Ngakoue has a big matchup with Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Assuming Tunsil doesn't completely melt down against Ngakoue, the Colts will need Paye to step up and win his matchups with Howard. Paye taking advantage of the attention that Ngakoue sees will be a theme throughout the year.
Colts CB Stephon Gilmore vs. Texans WR Brandin Cooks: These two have history, spending 2017 as the New England Patriots' top cornerback and wide receiver, respectively. It seems unlikely that Gilmore would shadow Cooks in this matchup but they still should be matched up against each other quite a bit. Gilmore's mechanics are top notch to go with his physicality, and Cooks' speed and suddenness makes him dangerous on every route.

NOTES

Ryan needs 265 passing yards to reach 60,000 for his career and become just the eighth player in NFL history to reach the mark. He would become the second-fastest player ever to accomplish the feat (Drew Brees, 215 games). Ryan needs one 300-yard passing game to pass Philip Rivers (73) for the fourth-most such games in NFL history. Ryan needs one game-winning drive to pass Matthew Stafford (42) and tie Brett Favre (43) for the sixth-most in NFL history.
Taylor needs 20 rushing yards to reach 3,000 career rushing yards, making him the second-fastest player in franchise history to reach the mark (Edgerrin James, 30 games) and just the 11th player in franchise history to reach it. Taylor needs one total touchdown to tie Marshall Faulk (33) for the third-most total touchdowns by a Colts player in their first three seasons. Taylor needs seven points to pass Faulk (198) for the sixth-most points by a Colts player in their first three seasons. Taylor needs two total touchdowns to pass Faulk (33) and tie Lenny Moore (34) for the second-most total touchdowns by a Colts player in their first three seasons. Taylor needs 13 points to pass Moore (204) for the fifth-most points by a Colts player in their first three seasons. Taylor needs three total touchdowns to pass Moore (34) for the second-most total touchdowns by a Colts player in their first three seasons. Taylor needs one 100-yard rushing game to tie Faulk (14) for the fourth-most such games in franchise history. Taylor needs one game with 100-plus rushing yards and at least one rushing touchdown to tie Eric Dickerson (13) for the second-most such games in franchise history.
Running back Nyheim Hines needs one receiving touchdown to tie Albert Bentley and Curtis Dickey (eight) for the 10th-most receiving touchdowns by a running back in franchise history.
Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship needs four points to pass Joseph Addai (182) and tie Dean Biasucci (183) for the eighth-most points by a Colts player in their first three seasons. Blankenship needs five points to pass Biasucci for the eighth-most.
The Colts have elevated cornerback Tony Brown from the practice squad to the active roster.

CATCH BEFORE THE GAME

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Published Sep 10, 2022

JAKE ARTHUR

Jake Arthur has covered the NFL and the Indianapolis Colts for a decade. He is a member of the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) and FantasyPros' expert panel. He has also contributed to multiple NFL Draft guides.