The Indianapolis Colts need to put an embarrassing stat to bed Week 1 against the Houston Texans

Fans know all about the Indianapolis Colts Week 1 struggles in recent years.

But it's worse than many know, with the team being the only team in the NFL not to have a Week 1 win over the past ten seasons.

The Colts have lost nine of their past ten season openers, with their best outcome coming against the Houston Texans, which was a tie in 2022. Now, they will hope to end this curse against the same team as they are set to host the Texans in Week 1 to kick off the 2024 season. But before they do, let's take a trip down memory lane to see their less-than-fortunate outcomes during Week 1 over the last ten seasons.

Past 10 Colts season openers

• 2014: 31-24 loss @ Denver Broncos
• 2015: 27-14 loss @ Buffalo Bills
• 2016: 39-35 loss vs. Detroit Lions
• 2017: 46-9 loss @ Los Angeles Rams
• 2018: 34-23 loss vs. Cincinnati Bengals
• 2019: 30-24 loss @ Los Angeles Chargers
• 2020: 27-20 loss @ Jacksonville Jaguars
• 2021: 28-16 loss vs. Seattle Seahawks
• 2022: 20-20 tie @ Houston Texans
• 2023: 31-21 loss vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Colts' last Week 1 win came in 2013 when they defeated the Oakland Raiders, who have since moved to Las Vegas, by a score of 21 to 17. The Raiders' quarterback during that game was Terrelle Pryor Sr., who most recently played wide receiver in the NFL. The Colts' starting quarterback was Andrew Luck, who is now retired. The team's leading WR on the day was Reggie Wayne, who is not only retired but also the team's WR coach.

It won't be easy for the Colts to break this curse in 2024 with the new-look Texans coming to town, who many believe are the favorites to win the AFC South. But this streak has gone on long enough, and if the Colts want to reach the heights they have their sights set on, they need to get this camel off their back. It's not ideal to start the season against a divisional opponent, but the Colts at least get to start the year at home in front of their fans. A win would put this awful stat to bed and get their 2024 season started on a fantastic trajectory.

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