There are high hopes for the Indianapolis Colts in the 2022 season. However, they got off to an interesting start by tieing the Houston Texans 20-20 in the opening matchup. The Texans held control for most of the game, but the Colts outscored them 17-0 in the 4th quarter to come back to tie it. It is disappointing not to get the win and the team will certainly look to improve moving forward. This was a game Indianapolis hoped to come out on top and there will need to be signs of growth moving forward. However, here are the three players most responsible for the mixed bag of results in Week 1.

3. Michael Pittman Jr

It was no surprise to see Micahel Pittman Jr lead the receiving attack for the Colts in Week 1. The 24-year-old was targeted 13 times in the matchup which was the most for either team. Pittman Jr caught nine of these targets for 121 yards and a touchdown. There was not too much explosion in the Colts' offense as Pittman Jr had the longest reception of the day for just 28 yards.

Overall it was a solid performance for the third-year wide receiver. He picked up right where he left off last season as he had 1082 yards receiving in 2021. It was expected he would be the focal point of the passing attack and this proved to be the case in Week 1. He also ended the game strong by tallying three receptions for 41 yards in the fourth quarter and catching the game-tying touchdown. The effort after the catch made the difference in getting in the end zone and provided a much-needed energy boost to the team. While the victory did not occur, Michael Pittman Jr and Matt Ryan took some notable strides forward in their relationship in the opening week.

2. Jonathan Taylor

Even with the addition of Matt Ryan and growth in the passing game, the Colts are set to be a run-first offense. They proved this in the opening week by giving Jonathan Taylor plenty of chances with the ball. In total, he ended with 31 carries for 161 yards and a touchdown. Taylor had to fight for his yardage on the ground and did not break off a run longer than 16 yards in the matchup. He also added four receptions for 14 yards.

The ground and pound tactic should be expected to continue for Taylor and the Colts. The Wisconsin product led the NFL last season with 332 rush attempts for 1811 yards. The 31 carries he received in Week 1 were the most across the entire NFL so Indianapolis looks to be expecting similar production. It will be hoped that there will be increased explosiveness and more overall ground production, but Taylor was solid in Week 1.

The Texans also deserve a ton of credit for stacking the box and game planning to keep Taylor in check. It took until late in the game for him to fully break out. In the fourth quarter, Taylor has 13 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown. It may not have been the best start to the game for the running back, but Taylor produced when the team needed it and did his job in the opening game.

1. Matt Ryan

The Carson Wentz experience last season scarred the Colts into searching for a game-managing quarterback for the 2022 season. While this has been the reputation of Matt Ryan throughout his career, he did not prove it to be the case in Week 1.

On the positive side of things, Ryan completed 32 of his 50 pass attempts for 352 yards and a touchdown. He seemed to get better as the game went on and settled in later on in the matchup. He also completed passes to eight different wide receivers and it was nice to see the ball spread around. Ryan outperformed Davis Mills and passed for 20 first downs in the matchup.

On the negative side of things, the biggest motivation for adding Matt Ryan was getting a quarterback who can consistently take care of the ball. This was not the case in Week One as he threw an interception and fumbled the ball four times. While only one of these was lost, it is still a massive concern moving forward. The interception occurred on a poor read of an attempted screen in the second quarter.

There were certainly still some positive takeaways but the failure to pick up a Week 1 win is a blemish. If the Colts are to elevate to the postseason threat they hope to be, it will take an improved performance from Matt Ryan in future games. The success of a team does not solely fall on Ryan's shoulder, but his rocky week one performance is strongly correlated to the team's tie. The missed field goal in overtime by Rodrigo Blankenship which would have won the game should also be acknowledged. Regardless, the Colts have some work to do to get closer to the team they are capable of being and this will start with improved play from Matt Ryan.