Colts vs. Texans in Week 1: What you need to know
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The Colts and Texans are at it again. Photo: Bob Levey/Getty Images
The Indianapolis Colts start the 2024 NFL season with a score to settle with longtime rival Houston Texans and a lot to prove to the rest of the league.
Why it matters: Sunday's game at Lucas Oil Stadium is a rematch of the final game of 2023's regular season.
- The Colts lost that game, and the AFC South crown, by just four points.
- Houston is the favorite to win the division again, and excitement surrounding 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud makes Week 1 in Indy a can't-miss matchup.
The big picture: The Colts showed promise last season but injuries — including the shoulder injury that ended quarterback Anthony Richardson's season in Week 5 — made every contest an uphill battle.
- Richardson is back, but so are the team-altering battle scars. Wide receiver Josh Downs and kicker Matt Gay are questionable going into Week 1 as they recover from injuries suffered during the preseason.
What they're saying: Richardson is ready to show the fans and the naysayers how much the team has grown since last year, and he is setting his target much higher than just winning the division.
- "We're more united. We're all chasing the same goal," he said Wednesday. "Last year it was a little new for us. New staff, new players, new everything in general. But I feel like we're all together this year chasing that Super Bowl."
He's also ready to go head-to-head with Stroud.
- "He was actually one of my close friends at the Elite 11 camp in high school … so it's always good to see him," Richardson said. "But we're both trying to achieve one thing, and that's winning."
State of play: The Colts haven't won a Week 1 game since Andrew Luck led the team past the Raiders in 2013.
- It's the longest opening-game winless streak in the league.
- NFL experts and insiders are picking the Texans as the favorite.
Setting expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers expect the Colts to win 8 or 9 games this season, a lateral move from the 9-8 record last season, but possibly good enough to make the playoffs.
- The latest NFL power rankings put the Colts 21st out of 32 teams with analysts saying the team is moving in the right direction, but there are concerns after the preseason.
Zoom in: One thing working in the Colts' favor this season is their schedule.
- The Colts will travel just 11,497 miles this season, the third shortest travel schedule in the NFL.
Fun fact: While getting ready for the big game, the Colts also spent this week giving back to the community.
- The team started the week by announcing a $1 million gift to PataSchool, an initiative of The Patachou Foundation to restore kitchens in Indianapolis schools.
- Linebacker Zaire Franklin, whose jersey number is 44, also said he will be donating $44 for every tackle he makes this season to the Midwest Food Bank of Indiana, and that will be matched by Coca-Cola Consolidated.
- Franklin broke the Colts' single-season tackle record in 2023 with 179.
If you go: The Colts and Texans kick off (with some new rules) at 1pm Sunday.
- Tickets start at $50.
How to watch: CBS, Paramount+ or Fubo.
Go deeper: Indianapolis Colts ticket prices stay low in 2024