Two banners hang on either side of the large glass window on the south side of Lucas Oil Stadium. On the left side is Jonathan Taylor, and on the right is DeForest Buckner.
The banners, just like the players that are on them, are hard to miss. And in that same vein, it's easy to tell when Taylor and Buckner are in their rightful places on the football field – the Colts seem to operate more smoothly and more confidently with the two veterans out there.
Such was the case on Sunday; despite the Colts' 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium, there was no denying the importance of having Taylor and Buckner back on the field.
"It's huge to get a guy like that back," head coach Shane Steichen said of Buckner. "He's one of the best players in the league. Obviously, he's a dominant threat for our defensive line. I thought he did a hell of a job there."
Buckner, a three-time Pro-Bowler, was playing in his first game since Week 2 – the defensive tackle was just activated from injured reserve on Saturday after he sustained an ankle injury in Week 2 and missed five straight games. Prior to this season, Buckner had only missed two games in eight years in the NFL.
Buckner was a leader on the sidelines for the five weeks he was out, putting as much of himself into the game as he could, but there were some things that just weren't the same without the veteran on the field.
"Having Buck back is like having an extra coach on the field," defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo said. "He's seeing things, he's getting things correct and he's a problem solver."
Against the Texans on Sunday, Buckner recorded three tackles, one tackle for a loss, two quarterback hits and one sack, living up to the "game-wrecker" title bestowed upon him earlier in the week by linebacker Zaire Franklin.
"Besides the result of the game, obviously, it was great to be back out there with my boys," Buckner said. "It was fun getting back into the mix of things, and obviously the sack was a great gift for my first game back."
Taylor echoed Buckner's sentiments postgame, as the running back was back on the field for the first time since he sustained an ankle injury in Week 4.
"It was nice," Taylor said. "Not only in the end zone, but just being out there with the guys."
While he only recorded 36 yards on eight carries, as well as a 12-yard reception, through the first two quarters of Sunday's game – the Colts only had possession of the ball for nine minutes and 14 seconds in the first half – Taylor doubled down in the second half. He went on to total 105 rushing yards on 20 carries and score his fifth touchdown of the season.
"It feels good seeing JT out there because as you can see, he gets the ball in his hands and he makes it work," Richardson said. "He makes the plays."
The patience that Taylor is consistently praised for was on display against the Texans, as Taylor was able to read Houston's defense and take the right routes to gain any yardage he could. Sunday marked Taylor's third game of the season with 100-plus rushing yards, and the 19th of his career.
"It's huge," Steichen said. "Anytime you get a superstar player like that back, it's going to help your offense get some big runs in the game."
Taylor's touchdown – a one-yard punch-in in the fourth quarter – seemed like it could be just the spark that the Colts needed, cutting into the Texans' lead to make it a one-score game at 23-20.
But in the final eight-and-a-half minutes of the game, the Colts weren't able to put any more points on the board, and Sunday became a bittersweet day for Taylor and Buckner.
"It was really nice, putting the results aside," Taylor said. "But, adding the results back in, it sucks. You want your first game back to be a win."
