For those saying that youth is taking over the quarterback position, this is the matchup best suited to test that theory. C.J. Stroud — last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year — and Anthony Richardson, the dual-threat machine, will go head-to-head at Lucas Oil Stadium. The two squads are familiar opponents, both hailing from the AFC South where they are in a race for the top spot.
Both teams appear to enter this game better on paper than they were last season. Houston invested in more weapons to put around Stroud this offseason with the additions of wide receiver Stefon Diggs and running back Joe Mixon. Tank Dell will make his return from a leg injury that cut short his rookie season, and the Texans’ pass rush got a boost with the signing of Danielle Hunter.
The Colts also had a solid offseason, adding wide receiver Adonai Mitchell and pass rusher Laiatu Latu in the draft. But most importantly, Richardson will make his highly anticipated return following his season-ending shoulder injury last year.
The Colts ranked 25th in defending the deep ball last season, which should really give Stroud room to toss the ball here. Houston ranked third in the league in deep ball passing and 10th in overall passing efficiency. With another veteran deep threat in the Texans’ arsenal (Diggs), this will be a metric to monitor against the Colts (and over the course of the season).
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