Colts vs. Texans | Crunching Numbers

Highlighting some of the numbers in the Colts' 20-20 tie with the Texans on Sunday.

It was a tough one for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday against the Houston Texans.

They didn't lose, finishing in a 20-20 tie following overtime instead, but it was still a far cry from the comfortable win that many thought they would have.

It was a productive day for several players statistically, but numerous self-inflicted wounds ensured the team would stay winless on Week 1s for the ninth consecutive year.

Looking on the optimistic side, here are some of the standout performances and milestones reached by the Colts on Sunday.

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Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: QB Matt Ryan | 352 yards

Rushing: RB Jonathan Taylor | 161 yards

Receiving: WR Michael Pittman Jr. | 121 yards

Tackles: LB Zaire Franklin | 8

Sacks: DE Kwity Paye | 2.0

Takeaways: DT DeForest Buckner | 1 fumble recovery

Kicking: K Rodrigo Blankenship | 2-of-3 field goals (66.7%), 2-of-2 extra points (100.0%)

Punting: P Matt Haack | 4 punts, 44.8-yard average, 3 inside 20

Returns: Nyheim Hines | 5 punt returns, 6.2-yard avg.

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

TEAM

• Sunday was the first time that the Colts finished a game with a tie since Week 7 of the 1982 season vs. the Green Bay Packers, and their first tie since moving to Indianapolis.

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

OFFENSE

• Sunday was the first time that the Colts had a 300-yard passer (Matt Ryan), 100-yard rusher (Jonathan Taylor), and 100-yard receiver (Michael Pittman Jr.) in a single game since Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, and Pierre Garcon did it in Week 6 of 2010 vs. the Washington Commanders.
• The Colts' 517 yards of offense were their second most under head coach Frank Reich and their most since Week 9 of 2021 vs. the New York Jets.
• The Colts' 216 yards of offense in the fourth quarter were their most in the fourth quarter since Week 13 of 2011 vs. the New England Patriots (266).
• The Colts' 33 first downs were the most in a single game since Week 16 of 2007 vs. the Houston Texans.

Quarterback Matt Ryan was 32-of-50 passing (64.0%) for 352 yards (7.0 YPA), 1 touchdown, 1 interception, and an 83.1 passer rating. He also ran the ball 4 times for 12 yards (3.0 avg.).

• He reached 60,000 passing yards for his career, becoming only the eighth player in NFL history to reach the mark and the second-fastest to get there (223 games) behind Drew Brees (215 games).
• He reached 73 games with 300-plus passing yards, passing Philip Rivers (73) for the fourth-most such games in NFL history.

Running back Jonathan Taylor had 31 carries for 161 yards (5.2 avg.) and 1 touchdown. He also caught 4-of-7 targets for 14 yards (3.5 avg.).

• He reached 3,000 rushing yards for his career, becoming the second-fastest player in franchise history (33 games) to reach the mark behind Edgerrin James (30 games) and only the 11th player in franchise history to reach the mark.
• He tied Marshall Faulk (33) for the third-most total touchdowns by a Colts player in their first three seasons.
• He also tied Faulk (14) for the fourth-most 100-yard rushing games in franchise history.
• He tied Eric Dickerson (13) for the second-most games with 100-plus rushing yards and at least one rushing touchdown in franchise history.

Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. caught 9-of-13 targets for 121 yards (13.4 avg.) and 1 touchdown.

• He became the first Colts player to reach 100-plus receiving yards in Week 1 since Reggie Wayne (135) in 2012.
• His 80 receiving yards in the first half were the most by a Colts wide receiver in the first half since T.Y. Hilton in Week 13 of 2020 (100).

Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

DEFENSE

Defensive end Kwity Paye had 7 tackles (2 for loss), 2.0 sacks, and 2 quarterback hits.

• He set new single-game career highs in total tackles, solo tackles (6), tackles for loss, and sacks.

Linebacker E.J. Speed had 7 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 1 quarterback hit.

• His 1.0 sack was the first of his career.

Safety Nick Cross had 4 tackles.

• He became the second-youngest player to ever play in a game in franchise history.

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship went 2-of-3 on field goals (66.7%) and 2-of-2 on extra points (100.0%).

• He passed Dean Biasucci (183) for the eighth-most points by a Colts player in their first three seasons.

Punter Matt Haack had four punts for a 44.8-yard avg, with three inside the 20-yard line.

• He had a career-high 70-yard punt, which was downed at the 1-yard line. 

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Who impressed you Sunday for the Colts? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!

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