Keep up with the action today from NRG Stadium as the Houston Texans host the Indianapolis Colts for the first game of the regular season.
Find out how to watch the game here.
Here are 10 factors to keep an eye out on as the game goes along.
The Texans are underdogs to the Colts. However, the series history shows that the Texans are 2-0 against Indianapolis on Opening Day.
The Texans used their platform on Sunday to honor the Uvalde Coyotes as part of their honoring of the victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting earlier in the summer.
Uvalde HS football coach Herb Miller and player Justyn Rendon, who said it is his honor to wear No
21 on the field to represent the 21 who lost their lives in tragic school shooting at Robb Elementary @uvaldehs #uvaldestrong @texanscare Uvalde team guests of @HoustonTexans @HEB https://t.co/qcaDlR8fU1 pic.twitter.com/8kBdlfxoL6— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 11, 2022
First quarter
15:00 — Houston kicks off and it’s a touchback.
14:30 — The Texans turn the Colts three-and-out after stopping RB Jonathan Taylor on a third-and-3 from the Colts’ 32-yard line. Taylor got two yards and was gang-tackled.
12:06 — On a third-and-2 from the Texans’ 29-yard line, QB Davis Mills throws underneath for WR Brandin Cooks, and it sails off his right shoulder incomplete. Houston matches Indianapolis’ three-and-out.
9:35 — On a third-and-2 from the Texans’ 48-yard line, QB Matt Ryan rushes for a 2-yard gain on the right side. LB Kamu Grugier-Hill made Ryan pay for it with a lick at the line to gain.
8:00 — On a third-and-7 from the Houston 43-yard line, Ryan hits WR Michael Pittman for an 8-yard gain.
5:54 — On another third-and-7, but from the Houston 32-yard line, Ryan dumps off to Taylor, who is stopped for five yards.
5:13 — K Rodrigo Blankenship nails a 45-yard field goal. Colts, 3-0
3:57 — The Texans go three-and-out again. On a third-and-5 from the Houston 30-yard line, Mills rolls out and finds WR Chris Conley all alone with the line to gain right in front of him. Conley could not bring the low pass up from his ankles and the ball slips from his fingertips incomplete.
0:41 — Last play of the first quarter is the Texans dropping Taylor for a 2-yard loss on a first-and-goal from the 9-yard line. Houston hasn’t been able to thwart the Colts’ drive to this point.
Second quarter
15:00 — Houston dodged a punch as WR Alec Pierce dropped a sure touchdown pass.
14:52 — Ryan dumps off to Nyheim Hines for a 9-yard gain.
14:14 — The Colts run a wildcat with Hines taking the handoff, and the Texans don’t fall for it and drop Indianapolis for a 3-yard loss.
14:10 — Houston gets out of jail as Mills hits TE Pharaoh Brown for a 17-yard gain up to the Texans’ 21-yard line.
12:14 — Mills hits TE Brevin Jordan for a 5-yard gain on a third-and-2 from Houston’s 29.
9:11 — RB Rex Burkhead rushes for a 4-yard gain on third-and-2 from the Colts’ 33-yard line.
7:58 — Mills fails to find Cooks for on a third-and-8 from the 27-yard line.
7:54 — Houston has to settle for a 45-yard K Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal. The drive went 69 yards in 14 plays, melting 6:20 off the game clock. 3-3
5:55 — On a third-and-1 from the Houston 38, Ryan pitches out to Taylor for a 13-yard gain.
4:34 — What’s the benefit in having an old veteran like DE Jerry Hughes? He knows how to play a screen. Ryan tries a screen for Taylor on the right side that is intercepted at the Texans’ 28. The big man rumbles up to the Texans’ 42-yard line to change the momentum and get NRG Stadium rocking.
2:37 — Mills connects with TE O.J. Howard for a 16-yard touchdown. Extra point is good. Texans, 10-3
0:57 — It’s Hughes again. The former Sugar Land Stephen F. Austin product dropped Ryan for a 7-yard loss on second-and-6 from the Houston 30-yard line. It also technically counts as a forced fumble.
0:48 — The Colts commit a false start that backs them up third-and-18 at the Texans’ 37-yard line. Pittman drops the ensuing pass from Ryan. The Colts are out of Blankenship’s field goal range.
0:29 — On a third-and-5 from the Texans’ 19-yard line, Mills finds Burkhead for a 6-yard gain. Houston takes their second timeout.
0:09 — The Texans play it safe and have Burkhead rush for eight yards to get out of the half.
Halftime
Stats
TEXANS
Mills: 10/17, 98 yards, TD
Pierce: 5 carries, 16 yards
Burkhead: 7 carries, 30 yards
Cooks: 3 catches, 20 yards
Howard: 1 catch, 16 yards
COLTS
Ryan: 14/19, 141 yards, INT
Taylor: 14 carries, 68 yards
Pittman: 6 catches, 80 yards
Third quarter
15:00 — Houston runs a flea flicker and Mills hits Cooks for 42 yards to the Colts’ 36-yard line.
13:05 — On a third-and-10 from the Colts’ 33-yard line, Mills dumps off to WR Nico Collins for an 8-yard gain.
12:20 — Fairbairn hits a 43-yard field goal. 13-3, Texans
9:04 — On a third-and-2 from the Houston 40-yard line, Ryan can’t get the snap and there is a fight for the loose ball. LB Christian Kirksey recovers.
8:23 — Mills hits WR Chris Moore for an 11-yard gain up to the Colts’ 42-yard line. Tack on another 15 yards for roughing the passer.
7:16 — Sooner or later you knew it would be another red zone strike from Mills. Did you think it would be Howard? 20-3, Texans
5:13 — The Texans essentially were backed up at their own 1-yard line and mercifully went three-and-out. However, the Colts committed running into the kicker against P Cam Johnston. Because it was fourth-and-4, the 5-yard penalty resulted in a first down.
3:16 — On a third-and-2 from Houston’s 20, the Texans bring in QB Jeff Driskel to run the wildcat. Driskel rushes five yards, dancing a tight rope on the right sideline, to pickup a first down.
1:14 — On a third-and-3 from the Colts’ 47-yard line, Mills hits Cooks for a 4-yard gain.
Fourth quarter
15:00 — Mills throws a pass incomplete for Cooks on a third-and-3 from the Indianapolis 36-yard line.
10:53 — CB Derek Stingley makes his presence felt as he knocks away a touchdown pass from Pierce.
10:47 — The Colts get a delay of game as they don’t have enough players on the line of scrimmage for a field goal try. After the penalty, Blankenship hits a 27-yard field goal. 20-6, Texans
10:02 — On a second-and-6 from the Houston 29-yard line, Mills gets sacked and fumbles. DT DeForest Buckner recovers for the Colts at the 20-yard line.
7:46 — Taylor rushes for a 2-yard touchdown. The extra point is good. 20-13, Texans
4:39 — On a third-and-8 from the Houston 38-yard line, Mills overthrows Collins. It wouldn’t have mattered if Collins caught it on the left sideline as there was an illegal shift.
4:29 — Johnston punts and the Colts take over at their own 20-yard line with two timeouts.
3:13 — The Colts get into Texans’ territory with Taylor going 13 yards on a draw up to the Houston 42.
2:13 — Taylor gets up to the Houston 15-yard line on a 14-yard run.
2:00 — Ryan hits Pittman for a 15-yard touchdown. The Colts go 80 yards in seven plays, taking just 2:35 off the clock.
1:54 — CB Tremon Smith has the presence of mind to let a Blankenship kickoff bounce out of bounds. Houston gets first-and-10 at their own 40-yard line.
1:46 — Houston gives Burkhead a carry for four yards.
1:34 — Mills has a pass broken up at the line of scrimmage.
1:30 — On third-and-6 from the Texans’ 44, Mills under throws Cooks and the clock stops.
1:27 — The Texans manage to back up the Colts to their own 9-yard line. Hines fumbled, but Indianapolis recovered.
1:16 — Taylor gets stopped for a 2-yard loss.
1:05 — Ryan overthrows incomplete.
1:01 — Ryan completes a pass on third-and-8 to keep the drive alive.
0:25 — On a third-and-3 from the Colts’ 42-yard line, Ryan throws a 2-yard pass to Taylor, who runs out of bounds before the line to gain.
0:19 — Indianapolis doesn’t go for the fourth-and-1. The punt team comes on.
0:11 — Houston gets the ball at their own 19-yard line. Mills takes a knee to get to overtime.
Overtime
Each team gets a chance to possess the ball in the 10-minute period.
If the score is tied after each team’s first possession, the next score wins the game.
A touchdown or safety wins the game on the opening possession of overtime.
Each team gets two timeouts.
All reviews come from the booth; no coach’s challenges.
10:00 — Indianapolis calls tails. It’s heads. Houston’s ball.
10:00 — Blankenship kicks the ball out of bounds again, virtually in the same spot on the left sideline near the pylon.
10:00 — Mills gets sacked on first down.
9:17 — Mills throws incomplete for WR Phillip Dorsett
9:10 — The Texans have a false start, and then on a third-and-22, Mills gets sacked on a three-man rush.
8:27 — The Texans stop Taylor for no gain.
7:43 — Ryan rushes for a 10-yard gain up to their own 41-yard line.
7:05 — CB Steven Nelson breaks up a pass for Pittman.
6:59 — CB Desmond King also knocks away a Ryan pass.
6:55 — Ryan hits WR Parris Campbell for a 12-yard gain on third-and-10 from their own 41.
6:12 — Ryan fumbles the snap again, but gets on top of it at the 50-yard line.
5:27 — Ryan hits Hines for a 15-yard gain.
4:55 — Taylor loses two yards.
4:12 — Ryan hits TE Mo Alie-Cox for a 13-yard gain up to the Texans’ 24.
2:07 — Hughes sacks Ryan for a 4-yard loss to the Texans’ 23-yard line.
2:00 — Blankenship misses a 42-yard field goal. Texans’ ball.
1:57 — Mills hits Burkhead for an 8-yard pass up to the Houston 40.
1:28 — C Justin Britt commits a false start to make it second-and-7, but Mills hits Cooks anyway for nine yards up to the Texans’ 44.
1:06 — Mills hits Moore for a 9-yard pass up to the Colts’ 47.
0:40 — On a third-and-1 Houston gives it to Burkhead, who loses two yards.
0:26 — Houston punts the ball away. The Colts are backed up their own 6-yard line with one timeout left.
0:19 — Ryan throws to Hines for a loss of a yard, and then they call timeout with two seconds left at their own 6-yard line.
0:02 — The Colts try the Stanford Band play, but it goes nowhere. The Texans get their first tie in team history. 20-20
