NFL Fans Hype Anthony Richardson over C.J. Stroud in 1st Duel of Colts, Texans QBs

The first of potentially many AFC South clashes between the Indianapolis Colts' Anthony Richardson and Houston Texans' C.J. Stroud was overshadowed by injuries as the former came away a 31-20 winner.

Stroud suited up after initially being listed as questionable due to a shoulder issue. For Richardson, a bright start to Week 2 was erased by his premature exit from the game. The Colts ruled him out in the first half after suffering a concussion.

Before that, the Indianapolis rookie went 6-of-10 for 56 yards, and he ran for 35 yards and two touchdowns on three carries.

Richardson's limited involvement did enough to keep fans excited about what's the come in the future.

Granted, it may not be a foregone conclusion that Richardson is immediately installed as the starter again once he's cleared to play. Gardner Minshew provided a spark off the bench and had 171 yards and one score through the air.

"Minshew Mania" is never dead; it just lays dormant for a while.

History tells us Minshew will cool off sooner or later, but he's at the very least a dependable passer. While that might sound like damning with faint praise, the 27-year-old is arguably a better solution than what some teams are throwing out there at quarterback.

On the other side, Texans fans were once again left lamenting the state of the roster around Stroud.

The No. 2 overall pick looks the part of an NFL starter, finishing 30-of-47 for 384 yards and two touchdowns. He had his first career TD pass in the first quarter on an eight-yard toss to Nico Collins.

However, Houston collectively may not have much in the way of progress to show for 2023 beyond Stroud's development.

The Texans won't even reap the rewards that would come with having one of the NFL's worst records. They traded their 2024 first-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals to move up and select Will Anderson Jr. this past spring.

If Stroud continues progressing along this track, though, potentially missing out on the chance to get USC star Caleb Williams may not be the end of the world.