The Indianapolis Colts couldn't take care of business in the season opener, but things could've been worse. At least two of the other teams in the division also lost, and while the game was disappointing, there were some silver linings.
One of their biggest wins didn't come on their own turf. Down south at NRG Stadium, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills picked the Houston Texans' defense apart. While it may have been a rare off day for DeMeco Ryans' unit, it certainly gave Shane Steichen and company a blueprint to follow.
The Colts certainly have the personnel to try to match what the Bills did in the first game of the season. They have a primetime matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs up next, but this divisional matchup also looms large.
Indianapolis Colts' Shane Steichen will have his work cut out for him against Houston
The Bills managed to keep the Texans' spies away from Josh Allen by keeping multiple tight ends on the field. Allen, like Daniel Jones, is a big-bodied but mobile guy who can pick up yards with his legs, as shown in a 20-yard scramble for a touchdown.
The Colts' offensive line was a mixed bag in the first game of the season, but they're usually a stout unit. The Bills managed to make Danielle Hunter a non-factor (he had zero tackles or sacks), and Josh Allen diced them up for 334 passing yards and multiple explosive plays.
To be fair, Kamari Lassiter dropped a potential game-sealing pick before Allen found Joshua Palmer for the game-winning score. That won't happen very often, but they clearly aren't as impossible to beat as advertised.
Again, Week 1 can be deceiving. The Texans were supposed to struggle on offense and be elite on defense, and it was the other way around. But this is the type of morale-destroying loss that will have the toughest rival in the division scratching its head.
The Colts must also bounce back and take care of business against a Chiefs team that looked like a legitimate Super Bowl contender on Monday Night Football, and starting the season 0-2 might make Steichen's seat get blazing hot — or at least it should.
Regardless of what happens in Week 2, beating a divisional rival always feels like a double win. Every game is a different story, and a great coach like DeMeco Ryans will certainly watch the tape and make adjustments.
But maybe, just maybe, this wasn't a mirage. The league may have caught up on the Texans' defense, and either he gets creative and starts showing some disguised looks, or he'll die by his old-school approach. We'll take the latter.
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