After a disappointing finish, Houston must turn the proverbial page and get ready for Week 2.
At the start of the fourth quarter on Sunday, the Texans were in control.
They held a 17-point lead over the Colts at NRG Stadium, were facing a 3rd-and-3 at the Colts' 36-yard line on the ninth play of a drive and were looking to expand what was a 3-score lead into something bigger.
But Indianapolis seized momentum, evened the game at 20-apiece and the two teams walked off the field following overtime tied.
"There's a lot of things for us to build on," Head Coach Lovie Smith said. "When you get a lead like that, some good things have to happen on both sides of the football and special teams, so that's what we'll build on. Normally the gain, the biggest gain, during the season is from Week 1 to Week 2, and hopefully against the Broncos that will be the case for us."
A road trip to Denver awaits Houston, and the Broncos will face the Seahawks in Seattle on Monday Night Football. Defensive lineman, and newly-elected team captain Jerry Hughes tallied a pair of sacks, picked off a pass and forced a fumble in the tie. Hughes didn't like the outcome of Sunday's opener in Houston but the 13-year veteran was focused on a key area in which the Texans must improve.
"For us it's just all about finishing," Hughes said. "It's something that Coach preached all training camp, and we've still got to figure out a way to do that. Week 1, we didn't get a chance to do that, but we got the Broncos coming up fast, so we've got to turn the page and get ready for those guys."
Wide Receiver Brandin Cooks, who led the Texans with seven catches for 82 yards, isn't discouraged.
"It's a different team," Cooks said. "The work that we've been putting in over the summer and the spring has showed up. But obviously, there's some more to go. We're going to keep pushing, keep knocking at that door and keep getting better every single week. And I love what we've got, no doubt."
The Texans will practice Wednesday through Friday, and leave for Denver on Saturday. Kickoff is 3 p.m. CT at Empower Field at Mile High.
Browse no fee tickets for Texans-Chargers on October 2 @ 12:00 PM.
