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The Indianapolis Colts finished the first game of their 2023 campaign with a 31-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Colts ended the game with 223 receiving yards and 65 rushing yards. Receiver Michael Pittman Jr. led Indianapolis with nearly 100 receiving yards. He took a short pass from quarterback Anthony Richardson 39 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, quickly sprinting past a handful of Jaguars defenders before he was taken down in the endzone. Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin led the team with 17 total tackles. Linebacker Shaquille Leonard added eight tackles and one tackle for loss.
“I thought our defense played solid,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said, via Associated Press Sports Writer Mike Marot. “They took the ball away. They played hard. Shoot, they put us in position. We’ve got to be better — I’ve got to be better offensively.”
The Colts will face the Houston Texans at 1 p.m. EDT on Sept. 17 in NRG Stadium. Texans fell in a 25-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 1. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud showed plenty of poise despite the pressure that was sent his way. He completed the game with 242 passing yards and 28 completions on 44 pass attempts.
What are some bold predictions for the Colts when they face the Texans?
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3. Anthony Richardson will throw for at least 250 yards
Richardson ended Sunday's game with 223 passing yards and one passing touchdown. The former Florida quarterback added 40 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on 10 carries. He rushed for a two-yard score early in the second quarter, cutting through Jacksonville's defense for his first touchdown as an Indianapolis Colt.
“Very encouraged,” Steichen said, via Field Level Media. “I thought he did a really nice job and went to the right spots with the football. The completion percentage was good. We had some shots down the field, and he was smart with the football. They didn't give them to us, and he checked it down.
“There's little details to clean up like there will be every week but I feel encouraged with his first performance.”
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2. The Colts defense will record at least five tackles for loss
The Colts finished the game against the Jaguars with seven tackles for loss, two sacks, three pass deflections and four quarterback hits. Six Colts recorded a tackle for loss against Jacksonville. Indianapolis defensive end Kwity Paye led the Colts with two tackles for loss while recording one sack. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner added seven tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss. He returned a fumble for a 26-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
“This was big, just to go back out there and have some contact, playing against some great skilled guys. It was definitely a big moment for me,” Leonard said, via The AP. “We talk about takeaways and scoring on defense, so we finally got it done in the first game of the season and hopefully we can build off of it.”
Baltimore's defense notched five sacks, six tackles for loss, four pass deflections and 10 quarterback hits in its Week 1 win over Houston. The Colts must provide a solid amount of pressure to pull off a win against the Texans on Sunday.
1. The Colts will take a one-score victory over the Texans
The Colts must get more production out of their run game to be successful in their game against Houston. Running back Deon Jackson rushed for 14 yards on 13 carries, while running back Jake Funk added 10 yards on two rushing attempts. Richardson's 40 rushing yards was enough to lead Indianapolis in its loss to Jacksonville.
If the Colts can tap into the potential of their young signal caller and see the same contributions from Pittman and the defense, Indianapolis could earn their first win of the season before moving on to face the Ravens on Sept. 24.
