Horseshoe Huddle

Colts' Buckner, Franklin Face 'Unfinished Business' vs. Texans, Stroud

Indianapolis Colts defenders DeForest Buckner and Zaire Franklin have been looking forward to a rematch with the Houston Texans and C.J. Stroud.

Andrew Moore

Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin (44) moves down the field Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin (44) moves down the field Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
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If this offseason has taught us anything, no love is lost between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans.

Since the Texans beat the Colts in Week 18 last season to capture the AFC South title, keeping the Colts out of the playoffs, the discourse between the players has been entertaining. The main culprits of the trash talk have been Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and Colts linebackers Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed.

It started during the week of the Super Bowl, when Stroud told XM Satellite Radio he "cooked" the Colts in both matchups. That prompted a response from Franklin who made it clear that the Colts beat Stroud in the first game the two teams played and that Stroud has yet to beat Anthony Richardson.

Stroud, once again, went after the Colts publicly, saying Franklin and Speed did not make any plays against the Texans. Franklin and Speed responded to Stroud's comments on the Up and Adams show with Kay Adams.

The back and forth between Stroud, Franklin, and Speed has given a glimpse into a budding rivalry between two up-and-coming teams with high aspirations for the 2024 season. The trio will get to put the talk aside and settle their differences on the field when the Colts host the Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. And ever since the schedule came out showing the Texans would be coming to town in Week 1, Franklin has had the game circled on his calendar.

“Definitely has been on my mind, for sure," Franklin admitted about the rematch. "But really just looking forward to getting back into the season, getting back to Lucas Oil (Stadium), getting back to playing in front of our fans. It's going to be a good day on Sunday. Looking forward to it.”

The Week 18 loss left a sour taste in the mouth of the Colts. The division title and playoffs were there for the taking, but the Colts could not execute well enough to pull out a victory. The loss has stuck with the Colts, giving Franklin and his teammates extra motivation to start fast and take care of business.

“Just looking for a chance to right a wrong," Franklin explained. "You know what I mean? Obviously, the Week 18 game, it was tough. It was something to deal with. Had to grow through it, learn through it. But we’ve got an opportunity to get our get-back early on and play a division opponent early and open up the season 1-0.”

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While Franklin and Speed have been in the headlines for their back and forth with Stroud, the rest of the defense has been quietly working all offseason to right the wrongs they had in Week 18 and make life tougher on the Texans quarterback. Stroud was 20-of-26 for 264 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. He was in complete control the entire game and made winning plays throughout the contest.

DeForest Buckner was one of the lone Colts on defense that gave Stroud trouble that day. Buckner tallied a sack of Stroud and numerous pressures as he tried to knock the Texans quarterback off his spot. Buckner is ready to get another shot at the Texans after how Week 18 transpired.

“There’s definitely some unfinished business," Buckner said. "I mean ultimately, we split the games last year, our division games. They won one, we won one. It’s a new opportunity this season and there’s no better way to start the season off (than) with a division rival.”

But simply wanting another crack at Stroud and the Texans will not be enough for the Colts to come out on top. The Texans have made some big-name additions in the offseason, headlined by wide receiver Stefon Diggs and pass rusher Danielle Hunter, who will help them on both sides of the ball.

The Texans believe that with their additions, and Stroud taking another step forward, they can be one of the top teams in the AFC. It will be up to the Colts' defense to execute at a high level to slow down Stroud and the offense.

The Texans are coming into this season with a lot of confidence. Franklin expects that and knows the Colts have their work cut out on Sunday.

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner sacks Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in a blue jersey.
Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (99) sacks Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, during a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

“I think just with a year of experience, obviously with a playoff run – is going to come with confidence, is going to come with a different level of swagger," Franklin explained. "Obviously, they have a talented young quarterback who has an extremely bright future in this league, and we’ve got to do our best to contain that.”

One way to contain Stroud is by getting consistent pressure on the young quarterback. The Colts only sacked Stroud twice in Week 18, and there were too many plays where Stroud had all day to throw the football. If the Colts want to win on Sunday, that must change.

The Colts are confident they have the pieces to get after Stroud this season. Buckner will be his normal disruptive self in the middle. First-round pick Laiatu Latu was tremendous throughout training camp, looking every bit of the explosive pass rusher the Colts thought he would be. Kwity Paye looks to have also taken a step forward, getting after the quarterback and generating pressure at a higher clip.

With a young secondary trying to find their footing, the Colts must rely on their defensive front to do the heavy lifting against Stroud and the Texans. Buckner is confident they can rise to the challenge.

"I think we only ended up with two sacks, obviously in the second game," Buckner remembered. "The first game we started off with six. I mean obviously they did a good job with game planning our rush and coming up with ways to stop our rush. But we’re a different line this year and I feel like guys got better in the offseason and we know we’ve got to take advantage of our opportunities.”

The long offseason is almost over, and a lot has been said by both teams. Now is the chance for Buckner, Franklin, and the rest of the Colts defense to avenge the Week 18 loss and quiet the chatter from Stroud, because the best way to silence the other side is by getting a win on Sunday.

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Andrew Moore
ANDREW MOORE

Andrew Moore is the Senior Analyst for Horseshoe Huddle and an Indianapolis Colts expert. Andrew is also the co-host of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast and the former co-host of A Colts Podcast.

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