Anthony Richardson rushed for two touchdowns before leaving with a concussion and Gardner Minshew threw for 171 yards and a TD as the Indianapolis Colts held off the Houston Texans for a 31-20 win on Sunday.
It was the first win for coach Shane Steichen, who was hired in February after spending the last two seasons as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator.
The Colts led by 18 at halftime and managed only a field goal in the second half. But their dominant start was enough to snap an eight-game skid dating to last season. It was their first win since Nov. 13 at Las Vegas.
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Kylen Granson #83 of the Indianapolis Colts scores a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the second quarter at NRG Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Richardson gave the Colts (1-1) an early lead when he dashed 18 yards untouched on their first drive.
C.J. Stroud fumbled when he was sacked by Samson Ebukam, and it was recovered by Indianapolis at the 15. Richardson made it 14-0 when he ran 15 yards for the score on the next play.
The rookie quarterback, who was selected by Indy with the No. 4 pick in the NFL draft, hit the back of his head when he was pushed down at the end of the score, but he popped right up to celebrate. He remained in the game for two more possessions before going to the medical tent and then to the locker room.
COLTS’ ANTHONY RICHARDSON LEAVES GAME WITH CONCUSSION AFTER SCORING 2 TOUCHDOWNS
Stroud, the second overall pick in the draft, threw for 384 yards and two touchdowns. But he was sacked six times and hit nine other times playing behind a line filled with backups. The Texans (0-2) lost four starters on the line during camp and were also without star left tackle Laremy Tunsil on Sunday because of a knee injury.
The Texans closed to 31-20 on a 23-yard touchdown reception by rookie Tank Dell with about 10 minutes to go. It was the first career touchdown for the third-round pick from the University of Houston.
Houston got a stop after that but wouldn’t get any closer after missing a long field goal on the next possession.
Stroud threw his first career touchdown pass when he connected with Nico Collins for a 12-yard score that cut the lead to 14-7 with about three minutes left in the first quarter. Collins finished with seven receptions for a career-high 146 yards.
Minshew took over for Richardson in the second quarter and orchestrated a 76-yard drive capped by an 11-yard scoring run by Zack Moss that made it 21-7.
C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Colts pushed it to 28-10 when Kylen Granson scored on a 4-yard pass just before halftime.
Richardson is the third QB in NFL history with three rushing touchdowns in his first two games, joining Daunte Culpepper and Jack Thompson. Richardson, who is 21 years and 118 days old, is also the youngest quarterback with two rushing touchdowns in a game.
Josh Jones filled in for Tunsil and had a holding penalty in the fourth quarter that negated a touchdown by Dell. The Texans settled for a field goal on that drive to cut the lead to 31-13.
INJURIES
Houston S Eric Murray left in the first quarter with a concussion. … Indianapolis C Ryan Kelly left in the third quarter with a concussion.
Anthony Richardson #5 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrates a touchdown with teammates during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
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LONG-AWAITED DEBUT
Houston wide receiver John Metchie III made his NFL debut after missing all last season undergoing treatment for leukemia. Metchie, who sat out last week with a hamstring injury, had one reception for 17 yards.
