Colts fans should 'be encouraged' despite Week 1 loss to Texans

The Indianapolis Colts are 0-1 after falling to the Houston Texans in Week 1 by a score of 29 to 27. Losing is never fun and while some fans might have taken the opportunity to point out everything that went wrong in the loss, some people are saying that it wasn't all bad for Indianapolis as they opened Year 2 of the Shane Steichen/Anthony Richardson era of Colts football.

Mike Jones of The Athletic was one of the Colts' optimists, stating that despite losing their season opener, the team and the fans should "be encouraged". Jones notes that "the Colts held their own" against the Texans, which is a solid point. Houston was getting a ton of hype this offseason and not many people gave the Colts a chance of taking that win yet they only lost by two points.

Jones also highlighted Richardson, making just his fifth NFL start. Jones stated that Richardson displayed long ball ability by completing passes of 54 and 60 yards but he needs to work on the shorter throws. Overall though, Richardson scored three total touchdowns and showed why the Colts spent the fourth overall pick on him a year ago. That touchdown throw he had to Alec Pierce was absolutely insane, which was another reason to believe in what Richardson can do.

Losing in Week 1 isn't reason for Colts fans to panic

Not all of the teams who went 0-1 landed in the 'Be Encouraged' category. In fact, they were the only team to earn that designation. Teams like the Ravens and Bengals were placed in the 'Relax' category, while teams like the Falcons, Cardinals, and Broncos received 'Reserve Judgement' labels.

In other words, it could be much worse for the Colts as they enter Week 2. They're 0-1 but this week they play a Green Bay Packers team that could very well be without Jordan Love (though Matt LaFleur has said there's a chance he plays), making them a less intimidating opponent. Colts fans know all about backup quarterback Malik Willis after watching him with the Titans for two years so if that's who they're going up against, this game feels a lot less daunting.

Dropping to 0-2 is something all teams want to avoid because it becomes a much more difficult hole to climb out of. At 0-1, however, everything the Colts want to accomplish this season is right in front of them. They just need to take care of business this weekend against a wounded Packers team and the encouraging signs should continue to pump up the team and the fanbase moving forward.