Previewing Houston and Indianapolis with Matt Taylor

Ahead of the Houston season opener on Sunday, I had the opportunity to speak with Matt Taylor, the voice of the Colts, to preview the upcoming game in Indianapolis.

Craig: Optimism is pretty high right now in Indianapolis is it not? This mural on the West Side of town of Anthony Richardson has galvanized the city.

Matt: No doubt about it. That mural is on the JW Marriott downtown. The reason for the optimism is all of the continuity that's returning on this roster. You've got 22 starters returning. I've been covering the NFL for a long time, and I've never seen anything like it. Returning all 11 starters on both sides of the ball is just unheard of in this day and age. The Colts think that with the return of Anthony Richardson, he's going to lift up the entire team and it's going to be exciting to see what they'll do this year. They should be way more explosive on offense, contend for the AFC South and get back into the playoffs for the first time in three years.

Craig: Of course, last year, Anthony only played in 4 games. How has he looked in training camp and is he now 100%?

Matt: He's a 100% full go. No restrictor plates or anything like that (laughs) Shane Steichen was asked this week how much of the offense has really been unveiled in the pre-season in those contests and he stated "not much"

Craig: Coach Steichen also said this week 1 tilt with Houston was "huge" and it really is right?

Matt: It's important to start the season off right but the game also represents setting the tone for the season. They need to get off to a good start. These teams have similar traits, young quarterbacks, good core rosters, young head coaches and each believe they can win the AFC South.

Craig: You mention the young quarterbacks. It really is incredible the amount of talent now in the AFC South at that position.

Matt: The AFC South used to be the laughingstock at that position. Parity wise this is the best the division has been since even 2002. Jacksonville believes they're the best team that they've ever had in their franchise. Tennessee is going to be way better than people think. Every game in the AFC South is going to be brutal. This week one game will be magnified for good reason.

Craig: Jonathan Taylor has historically had some of his better games against the Texans. Envision more of the same?

Matt: I know they're going to do whatever it takes to win the game. Jonathan is averaging almost six yards a carry against Houston for his career. He's a guy that's capable of hitting a homerun every time he touches the ball. He can also make people miss at the line of scrimmage. He has elite speed and athleticism. He's going to be a huge part of the game plan on Sunday. I'm really eager to see what Anthony Richardson's presence will have on opposing defenses. Additionally, with Taylor in the backfield and how the wide receiver core can assist in widening the box for Jonathan. The Colts are going to be really hard to defend if that materializes.