5 Colts takeaways after the first game of the season

In a game full of both exciting and disastrous moments, the Indianapolis Colts lost their 11th straight Week 1 matchup, falling to their AFC South nemesis, the Houston Texans. Through four quarters, the Colts kept up with the Texans step-by-step, but ultimately could not make enough plays to secure the win.

It’s been less than 24 hours since the final whistle, and the back-and-forth game is still fresh on our minds, so let’s reflect on what we learned about Indianapolis on Sunday.

Anthony Richardson's arm is not up to par yet

Second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson grabbed headlines in Week 1 with multiple deep balls that showed off his elite arm strength. While a trio of 50+ yard completions dazzled fans, those isolated moments should not distract from an otherwise troubling passing performance.

Richardson finished with an abysmal 47.4% completion rate against the Texans, threw a heartbreaking red-zone interception, and missed a number of open receivers. Concerns about Richardson’s accuracy and consistency have been swirling around since the Colts drafted him 4th overall in 2023, but they continue to be real weaknesses in his game.

Take away the three outlier longshots, and Richardson completed just six pass attempts for 41 yards. Indianapolis needs much more from Richardson if they want to realistically compete for a playoff spot this year. The good news is that this was only Richardson’s fifth NFL appearance, and he has plenty of time to improve, but the Colts cannot afford any setbacks in his development as a passer.