All of a sudden, there is a race in the AFC South after the Houston Texans won their fourth consecutive game 20-16 on the road against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon.
With quarterback C.J. Stroud back in the lineup, the two-time defending South champion Texans got back in the division race and bumped the Colts down a rung and into second place behind the Jaguars.
The Texans are 7-5 and haven’t lost a division game this season.
Stroud completed 22 of 35 passes for 276 yards and one interception and Nico Collins caught five passes for 98 yards and ran for a score. Stroud was 9-of-13 passing in the second half, including 3 of 3 on third down.
Houston’s defense held the NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense to under 20 points for the first time this season and kept Colts running back Jonathan Taylor out of the end zone. Taylor had 85 rushing yards and 36 yards receiving.
The Colts were stopped on seven of 10 third-down attempts.
Taylor was dropped for a 5-yard loss and the Colts had to settle for Michael Badgley’s 42-yard field goal, tightening Houston’s lead to 20-16 in the fourth quarter.
Stroud hit Collins for 29 yards to start the ensuing drive, which ended with the Colts’ defense stopping the Texans on three consecutive run plays — Woody Marks on 2nd-and-1 and tight end Cade Stover on successive direct snaps — from the Colts’ 17. The turnover on downs put the ball back in Jones’ hands with 4:45 remaining.
Taylor moved the chains on two first-down carries on the drive. Jones found Alec Pierce for 22 yards over the middle before Taylor’s tote for 11 yards and a 1-yard loss brought the two-minute warning.
On 3rd-and-9, Jones evaded the blitz and floated a pass to Josh Downs in the right flat, but his second drop of the game and Michael Badgley’s missed extra point off the left upright in the second quarter set up a make-or-break fourth down with 1:49 to play. Jones fired high and wide to Michael Pittman Jr.
Jones completed 14 of 27 passes with 201 yards and two touchdowns. Pierce had a team-high 78 receiving yards on four catches.
Playing with a left leg injury — reportedly a hairline fracture in his fibula — Jones’ mobility was limited. He took multiple direct shots, including a shot on the left leg with 12 minutes left in the game that was ruled roughing the passer on Texans defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr.
Houston regained the lead with 12:38 to play. A run fake up the gut froze the Colts’ defense and Stroud flipped the ball to wide receiver Nico Collins looping from the right side of the formation to win a race to the front-left corner of the end zone. Ka’imi Fairbairn’s extra point appeared to sail wide to the left, but officials deemed the PAT good and the Texans took a 20-13 lead.
Jones found his touch and the Colts tied the game at 13-13 with 2:51 left in the third quarter on a 12-yard TD pass to rookie tight end Tyler Warren. The score came one play after a 32-yard pass interference flag on Texans safety Caden Bullock placed the ball in the red zone.
On the previous possession, Houston trekked to the Colts’ 14 but Indianapolis stuffed Nick Chubb for no gain and Adetomiwa Adebawore sacked a backpedaling Stroud on third down to limit the Texans to Fairbairn’s 43-yard field goal on 4th and 21.
Chubb bullied his way into the end zone and shoved Colts safety Cam Bynum out of his path for 4-yard touchdown and a 10-6 lead for the Texans in the second quarter. The touchdown answered Jones’ 19-yard TD pass to Pierce.
Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner watched the final three quarters of the game from the sideline with his left foot in a boot. He was helped off the field on Indianapolis’ second defensive snap and ruled out with a calf injury.
Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair spent time in the medical tent for a concussion test and treatment for a foot injury in the fourth quarter but was back on the field after the two-minute warning.
The Colts play at Houston to end the regular season in January. Indianapolis visits the Jaguars next week. The Jaguars throttled Tennessee on Sunday to improve to 8-4.
