INDIANAPOLIS – The Houston Texans won a back-and-forth game with the Indianapolis Colts 23-20 in a critical AFC South matchup at NRG Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The loss drops the Colts to two games behind the Texans in the division standings with Houston holding the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series.
The Colts had the chance to drive for the game-tying or game-winning score after Dayo Odeyingbo forced a fumble late in the game, but a penalty and sack ended that drive. The Colts got the ball back one final time, but the Texans stopped Anthony Richardson around midfield as time expired.
The Texans scored on the first possession of the game on a Ka’imi Fairbairn 35-yard field goal. The Colts answered right back with a Matt Gay 46-yard field goal to tie the game at 3.
The defense stopped the Texans twice, before Anthony Richardson hit a wide-open Josh Downs for a 60-yard touchdown to give the Colts a 10-7 lead. Houston then responded with a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped by a Joe Mixon 14-yard touchdown run.
The game appeared headed to halftime tied at 10, but Richardson threw an interception to Texans’ safety Jalen Pitre with 23 seconds left in the first half. C.J. Stroud connected with Tank Dell on the next play for a seven-yard touchdown to send Houston to the locker room up, 17-10.
The Texans added to their lead on their first possession of the second half as Fairbairn made a second 35-yard field goal. Gay made his second field goal, a 37-yard attempt to cut the Colts’ deficit back to seven points, 20-13.
Richardson sat out the final play of the field goal drive after avoiding a sack and big loss with a scramble back to the line of scrimmage. Joe Flacco handed the ball off to Jonathan Taylor on the back-up quarterback’s one play of action.
Houston extended its lead back to 10 on Fairbairn’s third field goal of the game. However, the Colts had another answer. They converted their first third down of the game as Richardson hit Alec Pierce for an 11-yard gain with 10 minutes to play. Richardson then found Downs for 25 yards to the Texans’ one-yardline. Taylor scored two plays later to make the game, 23-20.
Houston was driving for an insurance score when Mixon fumbled the ball to Odeyingbo, who returned the ball for an appearant touchdown. Video replay showed Mixon touched the Colts’ defensive end as he was taking possession, so the Colts took over at their own 18-yardline.
Taylor and DeForest Buckner returned to the lineup on Sunday after they both missed games with high ankle sprains.
The Colts drop to 4-4 on the season and will play at the Minnesota Vikings next week on Sunday Night Football.