The Houston Texans made a big effort in the offseason to give C.J. Stroud more help. It’s already showing results.
Stefon Diggs caught two touchdown passes, and Joe Mixon rushed for 159 yards and added another touchdown in their first game with Houston, leading the Texans to a 29-27 win against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
“It’s everything for us,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said about his new players. “Those guys make plays no matter the situation. Being able to rely on them is huge for our team, not just for the offense but for the whole team. The energy they bring is outstanding.”
In some ways, it was business as usual for Houston (1-0).
C.J. Stroud went 24 for 32 with 234 yards and no turnovers as the defending AFC South champions won their ninth straight road game in the division, at the same place where they secured a playoff spot in Week 18 last season.
Still, Mixon, who was traded from Cincinnati, and Diggs, who was traded from Buffalo, gave Houston a stronger offense.
Diggs caught six passes for 33 yards and two touchdowns—a 9-yard score to give Houston a 12-7 lead that they kept and a 2-yard TD reception on fourth-and-goal to seal the win with 4:42 left.
Mixon ran a career-high 30 times, gaining his most rushing yards in a single game since he had 165 yards against Pittsburgh in November 2021. He scored on a 3-yard run early in the fourth quarter right after a holding penalty had wiped out a Colts interception.
“I’m finally getting to the level of play I know I can reach,” Mixon said. “The guys are supporting me to keep it going. I’m glad to be one of the key players setting the tone and showing what it’s like to play against us.”
For the Colts (0-1), it was a familiar outcome.
They continued their streak of not winning on opening day, which is the longest active drought in the NFL. They’ve had three of these losses in the last four years against division rivals, including a 20-20 tie at Houston in 2022.
Even though Anthony Richardson gave the Colts hope with two touchdown passes over 50 yards and a strong 3-yard touchdown run with 2:14 left, the defense couldn’t get the ball back to him.
Houston’s offense controlled the ball for 40 minutes. “It’s going to be like this a lot,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “We need to find ways to make plays at the end, both offensively and defensively, in key situations.”
But Mixon, Diggs, Stroud, and Nico Collins weren’t going to let that happen.
Collins had another strong game against the Colts, catching six passes for 117 yards, including a 55-yard reception that set up Diggs’ first touchdown. Ka’imi Fairbairn also made three field goals from 50 yards or more.
It was too much for the Colts, who initially led 7-3 after a 60-yard touchdown pass from Richardson to Alec Pierce in the first quarter.
Diggs’ first touchdown put Houston ahead 12-7, and Fairbairn’s field goal at the start of the second half extended the lead to 15-7.
The Colts scored on a blocked punt with Jonathan Taylor’s 5-yard touchdown run, but a failed 2-point conversion left them trailing 15-13.
Mixon then scored a touchdown, and although Richardson found Ashton Dulin for a 54-yard score, Diggs increased the Texans’ lead to 29-20 with less than five minutes remaining.
Richardson completed 9 of 19 passes for 212 yards with one interception and ran six times for 56 yards. Taylor rushed 16 times for 48 yards, and Pierce had three catches for 125 yards as the Colts fell short once again.
