"There is no lack of reasons for Joseph Addai to be looking forward to the Indianapolis Colts season opener Sunday against AFC South rival Houston.

Let the veteran running back reel them off.

"I'm excited," Addai said Thursday. "First game, Houston, division opponent, on the road.

"That's always a good test for us. I'm ready to get the season started."

And for Addai, there's no place like Houston. Not only is that home, it's where he has had his most success.

In four appearances at Reliant Stadium, Addai has averaged 78 yards per game and 4.5 per attempt. The averages over his 58-game career are 60.8 and 4.1.

Is it the home cooking he normally devours after the team arrives in Houston on Saturday? Uh, no. It's a familiarity issue.

"We know them," Addai said. "We feel comfortable playing them because we play them (twice) every year."

Two of Addai's seven 100-yard rushing games have come against the Texans, including the last. That was a 105-yard outing on 22 carries Nov. 16, 2008, in Lucas Oil Stadium.

That also is the last 100-yard rushing game by a Colt, a 21-game drought. It's the team's longest since a 23-game span in 1991-93.

Addai, whose contract expires at the end of the season, is coming off a productive preseason. He ran hard and with a get-away burst.

"He looks good. He feels good," coach Jim Caldwell said. "That's all we can go by right now. He really has had a very fine spring and summer. Joe really looks like he is ready to go.""