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National Football League
Houston 29, Indianapolis 27
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 8, 2024
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Temperature: Dome
Head Official: John Hussey
Attendance: 65306

High-profile acquisitions Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon each scored touchdowns Sunday as the visiting Houston Texans started the season with a 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Mixon rushed 30 times for 159 yards and a score, while Diggs caught six passes for 33 yards and two touchdowns, including a 2-yard pass from C.J. Stroud with 4:42 left that made it 29-20.

Houston outgained Indianapolis 417-303 in total offense and possessed the ball for 40 minutes.

Stroud completed 24 of 32 passes for 234 yards, while wide receiver Nico Collins continued his mastery of the Colts with six catches for 117 yards. Collins last year caught 341 yards worth of passes in two matchups with Indianapolis, more than any receiver gained against any team in the league.

Second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson hit a trio of big plays to supply most of the Colts' offense. He was 9 of 19 for 212 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Richardson also ran six times for 56 yards, including a 3-yard score with 2:14 remaining that pulled Indianapolis within two points.

However, the Texans closed the game out by converting a pair of third downs. Stroud hit Collins for a 12-yard reception on the right sideline, and Mixon rushed for 9 yards on third-and-3 with 1:48 left to seal it.

Ka'imi Fairbairn initiated scoring for Houston with a 51-yard field goal at the 6:44 mark of the first quarter, then Richardson found Alec Pierce for a 60-yard touchdown strike less than two minutes later. Fairbairn's 50-yard field goal made it 7-6 Indianapolis after one quarter.

Diggs caught a 9-yard scoring strike from Stroud with 11:31 left in the first half for a 12-7 edge that the Texans carried to halftime. Fairbairn's third field goal, a 51-yarder, made the margin eight early in the third quarter before Jonathan Taylor ran for a 5-yard score that cut the lead to 15-13.

Mixon's 3-yard touchdown run with 13:41 left in the game upped the Houston advantage to 22-13. Richardson, however, struck again, finding Ashton Dulin for a 54-yard TD less than 90 seconds later.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
Rushing
Houston   Indianapolis
Joe Mixon Player Anthony Richardson
30 Attempts 6
159 Yards 56
5.3 Avg Yards 9.3
1 Touchdowns 1
13 Long 19
Receiving
Houston   Indianapolis
Nico Collins Player Alec Pierce
6 Receptions 3
117 Yards 125
19.5 Avg Yards 41.7
0 Touchdowns 1
55 Long 60
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Houston 417 213 204 3 3 1 2.0 0
Indianapolis 303 104 199 4 0 0 4.0 0
Upcoming Games
  • Indianapolis will play their next game on the road against Green Bay. The Colts have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
  • Houston will play their next game at home against Chicago. The Texans have a W/L % of 1.000 after a win and .000 after a loss.