With the Indianapolis Colts preparing for their 2010 regular-season opener against the Houston Texans Sunday, Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser offers three quick thoughts on the opener . . .
1.Too much, too soon? If there's a dominant theme entering the Indianapolis Colts' season-opener, it may be one that in a sense doesn't directly involve the Colts.
That's just how the Texans are approaching the game.
The Texans, as Colts fans know, are hyped for this game. Big-time hyped. That's not unusual, because Houston always gets up for Indianapolis, but combine the heady feeling around Houston surrounding this season, the Texans' history against Indianapolis and the Colts' status as perennial division powers and you've got a pretty frenzied situation.
That could impact the game in several ways.
The first thought is maybe this will be an extremely difficult situation for the Colts. They have, after all, needed dramatic, historical rallies each of the last two seasons to win in Houston, and in each of the last two seasons, there were moments in the game where it looked extremely doubtful the Colts could win.
Few who watched it can forget the fourth-quarter rally two years ago in which the Colts turned a seemingly insurmountable deficit in the final five minutes into what may have been a season-saving victory. And even though last year's rally from an early 17-point deficit wasn't quite so memorable, there were times early the Texans looked like the dominant team.
At times, it seems like the Texans match up very well against the Colts, but somehow, by game's end, the Colts have found a way to win. That's been the theme for the series in recent seasons.
The frenzy at Reliant Stadium Sunday will be intense, particularly for a regular-season game.
But in another sense, this is a difficult – and perhaps a dangerous – situation for Houston. They are playing a team that historically plays very well early in the season, and that because its no-huddle offense functions without much verbal communication, also functions well on the road.
While Houston may be very, very amped for this game, the Colts have a history of winning games in this situation – and of winning games in Houston whatever the situation.
But perhaps most worrisome for Houston is this: If the Texans win, they will have a big victory over a division opponent, but at the same time, all they will have done is win a division game at home – something good, contending teams are supposed to do.
On the other hand, a loss could be emotionally devastating for a team that has made no secret of the importance of an early-season game.
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