3 keys to victory for the Colts against Texans in Week 1

The Indianapolis Colts take on the Houston Texans to start the season. Here are three things they need to do to win in Week 1.

It’s here! The start of the 2022 NFL season for the Indianapolis Colts starts this Sunday. The Colts kick off the season in Houston as they take on the division rival Houston Texans. Last year, Indianapolis went 2-0 against the Texans behind some big-time performances. The combined score of the two games ended up being 62-3.

However, Indy has not won a Week 1 game since 2013. I am going to come up with 3 keys to the game that the Colts must do in order to avoid starting another season with an L.

3. Let Jonathan Taylor cook

In the two games last year that Indy played against the Texans, Jonathan Taylor put up a total of 288 yards on the ground and four rushing touchdowns. Taylor, along with Indy’s offensive line, absolutely dominated the Houston Texans’ defense.  The Colts have had some change on the offensive line, but they feel pretty confident in the guys that are stepping in to fill the gaps.

Having Matt Ryan at quarterback will help Jonathan Taylor not only in this game but for the entirety of the season. Ryan likes to throw to his running backs. Taylor is a really good receiving back out of the backfield. Taylor averaged 24 carries in the two games against the Texans last season. It is important that Indy’s offense drives the ball. If they can get out on the Texans early, they can ride Taylor to a Week 1 victory.

Taylor averaged almost seven yards per carry last year against Houston. That is absurd. If you are getting seven yards per carry on the ground, you are going to win most games. Taylor is set to have a big game Sunday. In order for him and the rest of the team to be successful, Taylor needs to be a focal point for the offense.