The Indianapolis Colts (1-1) defeated the Houston Texans (0-2) on Sunday, 31-20, at NRG Stadium for their first victory of the season.
The Week 2 victory saw the Colts leading from the start without ever looking back, but it comes with a bit of a somber outlook. Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson suffered a concussion early during the first quarter and though he remained in the game for two more drives, he was ruled out for the remainder of the contest in the second quarter.
Buy Colts TicketsHere’s everything we know from the Colts’ win in Week 2:
Final Score: Colts 31, Texans 20
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Colts | 14 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 31 |
| Texans | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
The game was over when...
Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed a 51-yard field goal attempt with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. This kept it a two-possession game, helping the Colts seal their first win of the season.
Keys to the game
- The Colts offense was humming all day long. They gained 351 total yards and averaged 6.4 yards per play.
- The rushing attack was much more efficient with the return of RB Zack Moss. The Colts averaged 5.5 yards per carry as a team.
- The pass rush collectively registered 5.0 sacks and eight quarterback hits.
- The Colts offense was perfect in the red zone, converting all four of their trips inside the 20-yard line.
3 Stars of the game
- QB Gardner Minshew: Filling in for the injured Anthony Richardson, Minshew was near-pristine. He completed 19-of-23 passes for 171 yards one touchdown and a 112.1 passer rating.
- RB Zack Moss: His arrival was much-needed for the rushing attack. Moss took 18 carries for 88 rushing yards and a touchdown while adding four receptions on four targets for 19 receiving yards.
- DE Samson Ebukam: It was a nice coming-out party for Ebukam, who recorded one sack, two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss. He added several pressures as well.
Anthony Richardson leaves early
It was an exciting start to the game as Richardson scored two rushing touchdowns on the team’s first two offensive drives. He looked poise and accurate in the pocket, and he added plenty of electricity with his legs. Unfortunately, Richardson suffered a concussion when taking a hit on his second rushing touchdown. His head hit the turf very hard, breaking his fall. The rookie stayed in for two more drives, both of which were three-and-outs, before exiting with a concussion. He likely will be in the protocol for the week and is questionable to play in Week 3.
Injuries
- QB Anthony Richardson suffered a concussion on his second rushing touchdown. He left the game in the second quarter and was ruled out after evaluation.
- C Ryan Kelly also suffered a concussion in the third quarter and did not return.
Quick Hits
- Anthony Richardson is the second quarterback in NFL history to score three rushing touchdowns in his first two games.
- LB Zaire Franklin once again led the team with 13 tackles (eight solo) while adding one tackle for loss.
- RB Zack Moss was the only running back to receive any touches. He took all 18 carries out of the backfield and saw four targets.
- The Colts were much better on third-down opportunities offensively, converting 6-of-12 attempts.
- The defense also struggled to get off the field at times, allowing 9-of-19 conversions on third-downs and allowing two conversions on fourth downs.
- However, the defense was stout in the red zone, allowing a touchdown on just 1-of-4 trips inside the 20-yard line.
- Rookie TE Will Mallory made his debut and recorded a 43-yard reception on his first target.
- It was once again Michael Pittman Jr. as the top target, recording 12 targets and turning them into eight receptions for 56 yards.
- Six different Colts recorded sacks: E.J. Speed, Kwity Paye, DeForest Buckner, Samson Ebukam, Taven Bryan and Jacob Martin.
- DE Dayo Odeyingbo forced a fumble, which immediately turned into a touchdown for the offense.
- The Colts have won six of their last eight games at NRG Stadium.
- The Colts have started the season 1-1 for the first time since 2019.
What's next?
Colts head coach Shane Steichen will meet with the media Monday for a conference call before the team prepares for the Week 3 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens (2-0).
