The Indianapolis Colts haven’t won a regular season opener since 2013, and that’s likely to remain the case for another year. The Houston Texans defeated the club 29-27 on Sunday afternoon to open the 2024 season.

The story of the game was really the difference between the two AFC South rivals.

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was limited to just 48 total rushing yards on 16 carries (3.0 ypc.) and a rushing touchdown. This was after battering the Texans run defense for 188 total rushing yards in last year’s 2023 season finale.

Meanwhile, veteran Texans running back Joe Mixon had a huge afternoon in Week 1, rushing for 159 total yards on 30 carries (5.3 ypc.) and a rushing touchdown. The Texans controlled the time of possession, exactly doubling the Colts’ time, 40:00 to 20:00, and the Indy defense couldn’t get off the field when it mattered most.

Perhaps the most encouraging thing about Sunday’s game was the spectacular plays by second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, who started just four times last year and returns in 2024 as the youngest starting QB in Week 1, during key moments of the game.

Yes, there were definitely growing pains. Richardson missed receivers at times and held the ball in the pocket too long, as any young quarterback does.

However, whether it was his 60-yard deep pass to Alec Pierce, despite initially slipping and being pressured, or his 3-yard “grown man” touchdown run on 4th and goal—drop his shoulder and drag himself over the goal line, You could certainly see flashes of why he sometimes looks the most like the young former NFL MVP Cam Newton we’ve seen since.

(There was also a Richardson 54-yard touchdown pass to Ashton Dulin early in the fourth quarter, sprinkled in).

Richardson finished his afternoon by completing 9-of-19 passes for 212 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception, earning a quarterback rating of 101.2. He also collected 56 rushing yards on 6 carries (9.3 ypc. avg.) and a rushing touchdown.During the interception, Colts starting tight end Kylen Granson slipped, which contributed to the interception as players from both teams struggled at times with their balance on the newly constructed Lucas Oil Field.

Speaking of Pierce, the 3rd-year wideout who was a bit of an afterthought this offseason with the highly anticipated arrival of rookie AD Mitchell but had a strong training camp continued his high level of performance. Pierce led the Colts with 3 receptions for 125 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. Perhaps this is the beginning of the Pierce breakout we’ve been waiting for since he was a rookie in 2022. The return of Richardson’s big arm downfield should only help fuel Pierce’s continued production as a pure deep threat.

Otherwise, while the Colts pass rush at times reached Texans Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud with 4.0 sacks, he still completed 24-of-32 pass attempts for 234 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and 0 interceptions for an opposing quarterback rating of 115.9. Say what you will about Stroud, but he is a very talented young quarterback and will likely be a pain in the Colts’ court in the AFC South for years to come. He once again made some key plays for the Texans.

Finally, given that this is the start of Year 8 of ‘Build the Trenches’ under longtime Colts general manager Chris Ballard, I was left feeling a little disappointed. Yes, it’s one game, and the Texans are a very good football team (probably favored to repeat as AFC South Champs, especially after today’s crucial divisional away win), but for a Colts team built to win on both lines, did they even consistently control either line today?

When we measure progress, has enough progress been made to be confident?

I’m not going to throw in the towel yet. It’s a long season after all, but we need to see more.