(SportsRadio 610) - Week one of the regular season is upon us and the Texans have one thing one on their mind.
Revenge.
The Texans were thumped quite a few times last season before finishing 4-13. It was the third time in five seasons they’ve managed to squeeze just four wins out of a season.
The Colts powered past the Texans 31-3 in a week six drubbing, needing just 48 plays in 25 minutes of possession to pound their division foe.
Week 13 wasn’t much different, except the Colts got a little stingier defensively, holding the Texans to just 141 total yards, including 57 through the air. They possessed the ball for a whopping 41 minutes and won 31-0.
Although the Texans took their share of kicks in the teeth last season from various teams, head coach Lovie Smith said he doesn’t forget games like those.
"I remember when somebody dominates," Smith said. "I can tell you what happened in the seventh grade, a game I lost. As coach, I can tell you a game we lost in, especially when somebody beats you like that. It’s a motivating thing as much as anything, for us to see exactly where we need to go."
This franchise can’t change the past. However, they’ve done quite a bit to move on from last season.
The Texans enter the 2022 campaign with 11 new coaches and 25 players on the roster that weren’t here last season.
Many of those new additions are on defense, as the Texans should boast eight new starters defensively and as many as five new offensive starters.
The Colts, coming off a 9-8 season in 2021, have undergone a number of changes as well. One major difference is Matt Ryan taking over as their quarterback, after being traded by Atlanta for a third-round draft pick in the offseason.
Texans head coach Lovie Smith said that addition under center for the Colts, presents a big challenge for game one.
“We don’t have a lot of tape of him there. He played just a little bit in the preseason, but historically, we have a whole lot of tape,” Smith said. “Going to the Colts, adding him, a quarterback that can make all the throws like that with the great running back causes problems. They have a good offensive line too. That’s why the challenge is here for us.”
The Colts' third-year running back Jonathan Taylor finished second to Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp as the AP’s Offensive Player of the Year last season.
Taylor led all running backs in carries, yards, touchdowns and yards from scrimmage.
While it would be nice to avenge those two embarrassing losses to the Colts last season, the Texans don’t get to play everyone that stepped on their throats last season.
It’s a new season, with new players, a new vision and a new goal.
Yet, it’s evident those two losses to the Colts last season are at the forefront of general manager Nick Caserio’s mind as well.
"They've got a good football team. It will certainly be a big challenge in front of us," Caserio said. "They kicked our ass twice last year, so we've got a lot of work in front of us."
The Texans will certainly have their hands full this Sunday at NRG, and Caserio will begin the long process of evaluating his football team in his second season as general manager.
"We're going to learn a lot about our football team probably in the first month," Caserio said. "We are where we are after about six weeks. We're going to learn a lot more. I think the expectation is just have a good day and then try to have another day after that."
Shaun Bijani has spent the last 16 years covering the Houston sports scene for SportsRadio 610. Follow him on Twitter @ShaunBijani.
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