The Houston Texans will battle the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, where the reigning AFC South champions look to set a standard in the division for the 2024 campaign.
These two potential AFC contenders have bad blood after Houston marched into Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 18 last season to secure a 23-19 victory and its first division title in four years. The Colts have gone back and forth on social media and podcasts, making it clear a rivalry has been renewed.
The Texans return C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson Jr., Nico Collins and countless talents from last year’s matchup as the headliners in Sunday’s contest. They’ll also have a healthy Tank Dell, who did not play in Week 18’s showdown after dealing with a broken leg.
Houston also upgraded multiple positions in the offseason via free agency. Four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter joins the crew after leading the NFL in tackles for losses. Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair should replace leading tackle Blake Cashman.
On offense, Houston will now have two new pieces for Stroud’s ‘five-headed monster’ with Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon and All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs. Diggs, who’s led the NFL over the past four seasons in catches (445), seems to be in lockstep with Stroud as the future No. 1 target.
The Texans are a 3-point road favorite against the Falcons, per BetMGM. It’s not surprising considering that Anthony Richardson will be making his first start in over eight months after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in October.
Will Houston set a standard on the road? Will the Colts become the team people must talk about heading into Week 2?
Who wins on Sunday?
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