Colts thoughts: Despite victory, they lose Anthony Richardson to brain injury

HOUSTON - Ten thoughts on the Colts' 31-20 win over the Texans at NRG Stadium:

1. The first win of the Shane Steichen-Anthony Richardson tenure was never too much in doubt from the moment the Colts went up 14-0 on Richardson's second touchdown run of the game less than 6 minutes in ... and yet the domineering storyline is going to be about Richardson's health.

The rookie quarterback suffered a brain injury, possibly on that touchdown run where he got shoved entering the end zone and slammed his head on the turf. He stayed in two more drives with no rushing attempts before he was checked in the blue tent and then sent to the locker room and ruled out for the game.

2. The thing about brain injuries is that they're all so different, from when symptoms show up to how long they linger. On one hand, the Colts are fortunate that it's not an ACL or Achilles tear, where we'd know immediately he can't come back this season. There's a chance Richardson can clear the protocol in the course of this week and be available next Sunday in Baltimore, the way Drew Ogletree did. (The Colts made him a healthy scratch against the Texans.) But there's also a chance it's a much larger deal.

Every injury is different, from the presence and severity of symptoms to the baseline of functions a player must return to to his personal injury history. This is at least Richardson's second diagnosed brain injury, with another coming in November 2021 while at Florida.

Be prepared for an ongoing storyline -- one that hangs over everything with this franchise. And it's one of a couple the Colts are dealing with, as center Ryan Kelly also left the game in the second half and is in the concussion protocol.

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3. Before the injury, Richardson was starting to put on the clinic everyone hoped to see when the Colts drafted him No. 4 overall. We knew the passing would be a work in progress after his accuracy struggles in college and in training camp. We knew he needed game experience with just 13 starts above high school entering this season. He passed those tests quite well in his first start, but week-to-week, it's going to remain a bit of a mystery.

But it was easy to be confident in his rushing ability at 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds with 4.43-second 40-yard dash speed and the outrageous burst that comes from setting quarterback records in the broad and vertical jumps. Last week featured glimpses, with 10 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown. This week had the makings of a breakout game, as he had three carries for 35 yards and two touchdowns. On two of his three carries, the only thing that stopped him was the end zone.

4. It was fun to see because last week's rushing performance from those around him brought questions as to whether they could bring that upside out by making a defense respect the other pieces. Last week, the backfield combined for 16 carries for 25 yards and two lost fumbles.

This week, Zack Moss returned and gave the Colts something simple but so valuable in the process of building around Richardson: a competent NFL running back. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry for the Colts last season and showed that stability by running 18 times for 88 yards and a touchdown against the Texans. That mattered when Richardson was in, as far as taking advantage of when the defense would converge on the QB. It also mattered after Richardson left, as the Colts had to present a balanced offense around Gardner Minshew and to control the clock with a lead.

5. Let's still not get mistaken here: Moss is not Jonathan Taylor, and he's not close. He had one run up the middle that was blocked well where I thought Taylor would have made a sharp cut, made a defender miss and created an explosive run, but it went for just a few yards. He also had a stretch run where Braden Smith sealed the edge and he had lots of green turf and gained around 5 yards, where I thought Taylor would have hit the sideline and had a chance at something really special.

I know it's not fun to read about what the Colts used to have. I bring it up more as a reminder of how great Taylor is and how they'll still need that in moments against better teams, where it requires elite players to make elite plays in order to separate. The next two games against the Ravens and Rams could feature some of those moments.

6. It tells you what the Colts think of their other running back options that Zack Moss took every single handoff in this one. Deon Jackson and Jake Funk are primarily special teamers at this point. It makes you wonder how sustainable that is, as the Colts have to roll with this backfield for at least two more weeks, and it's a position where an injury can happen at any moment. I think it's also up in the air whether Taylor ever comes back and plays here, but that's a conversation for another day.

7. The Colts had a 31-10 lead before C.J. Stroud began to really heat up and turn in his first big throwing performance in the NFL, finishing 30 of 47 for 384 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He started to pick on Darrell Baker Jr. with whomever was lined up on him on the right side, and the Colts had a hard time shaking out of that. That's somewhat of a pitfall of the way they've built this cornerback room, where seventh-round rookie Jaylon Jones is the next man up with second-round pick JuJu Brents a healthy scratch for a second straight week.

But it's also a credit to Stroud, who made some fantastic throws along the sidelines and into spots down the field where the placement was so perfect that his receivers could still earn yards after the catch on already explosive gains. He did it while under constant duress from what has been an impressive Colts pass rush so far this season, led by Kwity Paye and DeForest Buckner, which feasted on the Texans playing four backup offensive linemen.

It's unfortunate Richardson had to go out as early as he did, as we were set up for quite a showdown between two super talented rookie passers. The first of many in the AFC South.

8. No, it's not time to panic with Brents. He still has not practiced very much as a pro after entering the league with a wrist issue and suffering two different hamstring injuries. Outside cornerback isn't the most technical position, but putting a young player on the field without the trust in what he's going to do yet is a risky proposition at a spot where confidence fluctuates so much.

Brents hasn't dealt with that many injuries in his football life, so I wouldn't panic there, either. His skill set is built for outside cornerback in this defense but not so much for special teams, which places him behind Jones in his value as a pure backup at times. But Baker Jr.'s struggles in Houston make you wonder if the clock is ticking a little faster. The Colts could use more options at this spot. A second straight full week of practice should do Brents well.

9. It helps the Colts have a competent and trusted backup quarterback like Minshew. It's harder to build an electric game plan around his skill set than it is for Richardson, but he can step in and run a large majority of the playbook outside of the designed quarterback runs, and he can do it with precision and some decent chemistry with some of the players around him. Minshew didn't make many highlights, but he protected the ball and was efficient, completing 19-of-23 passes for 171 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions with a 112.1 rating. You'll take that every day when the backup has to step in.

It's a different deal when that quarterback has to start a game and the opposing defense knows it, as the spotlight grows on the most important position. That will make the next couple of weeks interesting to monitor with Richardson's health. But Minshew has started 24 games in this league, and the coaching staff has a good feel for what he can and can't handle. The situation could certainly be more dire.

10. If you're curious about the protocol Richardson will be under all week, I'd recommend this explainer I put together a few years ago.

As a final side note: I've received some questions as to why I use the term "brain injury" instead of concussion. It's just a matter of staying consistent and accurate with all injuries, as the NFL will label just the body part hurt for every single other injury except this one. I know it's different, but I hope over time we can adjust, because I think messaging is important here. If "brain injury" sounds dramatic or morbid, it shows that the NFL has been effective in softening the language around these injuries.

It's not a matter of being dramatic or not, just being real. The NFL has made some quality changes to the protocol over the years to take players' mental health more seriously, but I think we can be real in how we discuss them, too, so we can move away from the stigmas that have kept players from self reporting the way Richardson decided to on Sunday.

Contact Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.