Bold Predictions: Colts vs. Texans

The Indianapolis Colts kick off their 2022 season on the road against the Houston Texans on Sunday. Indianapolis will be looking to secure their first season-opening victory since 2013 while also taking care of business against a divisional opponent.

Here are my three bold predictions for the Colts’ first game of the 2022 regular season.

• Indy will snap season-opening losing streak

The Colts easily took care of business against Houston last season, beating them by a combined score of 62-3 in both matchups.

Houston didn’t do much upgrading around second-year quarterback Davis Mills, and their roster is full of question marks. The Colts, meanwhile, are coming off an offseason full of upgrades at premium positions, and they should be able to take care of business to start the season.

With quarterback Matt Ryan now at the helm, along with several star defensive additions, including defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and cornerback Stephon Gilmore, Sunday presents an opportunity for Indianapolis to snap their eight-game losing streak in season-openers.

• Jonathan Taylor will gash Houston’s defense for over 100 scrimmage yards

The reigning rushing champ of last season will look to pick up where he left off, and I’d bet the Colts turn to their best offensive player early and often against an unproven Texans defense.

Taylor racked up 288 total rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in both games against Houston last season, and I don’t think the few new additions for Houston’s defense will be enough to stop Taylor from surpassing over 100 scrimmage yards.

• The Colts’ defense will force multiple turnovers

Texans’ second-year quarterback Davis Mills struggled when facing Indianapolis last season, throwing for a total of 292 passing yards and zero touchdowns with two interceptions in both matchups.

Outside of veteran wide receiver Brandon Cooks, the rest of Mills’ pass-catchers are unproven. Aside from left tackle Laremy Tunsil, Houston’s offensive line remains a big question mark.

Given the areas of concern for Houston’s offense, I believe there’s a strong chance the Colts’ new-look defense can force Mills into several errant mistakes, leading to multiple turnovers.