The first full day of NFL football in 2024 is finally here, and the Houston Texans take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 action.
Here’s everything you need to know about the game today.
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts
- Start time: Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, 1 p.m. ET
- Channel: CBS
- Live stream options: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, CBS All-Access
- Radio Stations: SportsRadio 610, 93.5 & 107.5 The Fan
- Starting QBs: C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson
- Betting lines:
- Spread: HOU -2.5
- Total: 49
- Moneyline: HOU -135, IND +114
Houston looks to build upon a surprisingly successful 2023 campaign under rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The Texans saw the fruits of their decisions as Stroud and the Texans’ offense thrived in 2023, winning the AFC South and even making the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Now, with a season under everyone’s belt, Houston has made even more moves to build around Stroud this offseason.
Starting with the backfield, Houston traded for Bengals running back Joe Mixon, signing him to a three-year, $27 million extension the next day. That wasn’t the only trade made this offseason; the Texans also acquired WR Stefon Diggs and a couple of late-round draft picks from the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick.
Stroud, now armed with a WR trio of Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell (who looked good in his preseason return after breaking his leg and getting shot in the offseason), a solid rusher in Mixon, and a quality TE in Dalton Schultz, should have plenty to wreak havoc across his division and the AFC as a whole. The defense continues to get healthier by the day as Houston anxiously awaits the return of second-year DE Will Anderson Jr.
As far as their divisional rival goes, the Colts are eager to see Anthony Richardson hit the field again in the regular season after his rookie year ended just four games in due to a shoulder injury. The second-year QB appeared in two preseason matchups, completing 10 of his 18 passes for 111 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
While he only rushed twice for 4 yards, he was likely told to take it easy with rushing production to keep Richardson healthy for the regular season. However, with Jonathan Taylor under contract, the Colts will have to let the QB loose once the season starts to see what the rushing attack looks like with their QB1 and RB1 on the field simultaneously.
Richardson has a group of receivers ready to ease the need for rushing plays. The Colts’ top three receiving options will all return in 2024, along with the addition of rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell.
However, there’s a chance one will miss the start of the season after Josh Downs sustained a high ankle sprain in early August. While head coach Shane Steichen is hopeful he won’t miss too much time, he has not put a date on his return.
While it’s only Week 1, divisional matchups always have an extra layer of competitiveness. With two franchises expected to be fighting at the top of their division, the Colts and Texans are going to pull out all the stops to get a Week 1 win.
2024 Preseason Stats Leaders
- QB:
- Texans: Tim Boyle, 35 cmp/56 att, 281 yards, two TDs
- Colts: Jason Bean, 15 cmp/19 att, 197 yards, one TD, one INT
- RB:
- Texans: Cam Akers, 24 carries, 112 yards
- Colts: Tyler Goodson, 26 carries, 107 yards, two TDs
- WR:
- Texans: Xavier Hutchinson, 12 rec/20 targets, 114 yards
- Colts: Laquon Treadwell, 10 rec/11 targets, 121 yards, one TD