Colts Gab

One thing is for certain about the Indianapolis Colts: they have seemed to be able to beat their opponents in just about every conceivable way possible – or so it seems. During Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium, that analogy was definitely put to the test. Down by 13 points at halftime, they would score 28 unanswered points, enabling Indianapolis to hold off Houston 35-27. The win would allow the Colts to clinch the AFC South.

The Texans scored on their first series for the first time this season when Schaub directed an 11-play, 79-yard drive, capped by a 7-yard pass to Vonta Leach, making it 7-0; they would march down the field again on their next possession and go up 14-0 on a 5-yard TD run by Chris Brown. A Peyton Manning interception to Texans linebacker Brian Cushing would allow for another score, a 33-yard field goal by Kris Brown, putting Houston up 17-0; they would take into their locker room a 20-7 lead at halftime. And that, oddly enough, would be the beginning of the end for the Texans.

The Texans let the Colts back into the game in the third quarter as they were called for pass interference on third-and-goal from the 8-yard line, giving Indianapolis a first down on the Texans 1-yard line. Three plays later, Manning would connect on a 1-yard toss to Reggie Wayne to make it 20-14. A 4-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Clark with 8:24 left in the fourth quarter gave Indianapolis their first lead at 21-20; 15 seconds later, LB Clint Session would intercept a Matt Schaub pass and return it27 yards for a TD, putting the Colts up by 8. A 23-yard TD run by Chad Simpson would pad the Colts’ cushion to 35-20 with 2:52 remaining in the game. Wide receiver Jacoby Jones would score on a 10-yard pass from Schaub, bringing the Texans to within eight at 35-27 with just 18 ticks left on the game clock; one unsuccessful onside kick later, Manning would do the obligatory kneeldowns, icing the game for the Colts.

Manning had a decent game, going 27-of-35 for 244 yards with 3 TD’s and 2 INT’s while Schaub did nearly as well, going 31-of-42 for 284 yards with 2 TD’s and 2 INT’s. Joseph Addai led the Colts rushing effort with 15 carries for 69 yards while the Texans were led by Steve Slaton with 57 yards on 10 carries while catching 7 passes for 49 yards; Brown added 56 on 11 rushes and a TD.

Austin Collie led all Colts receivers with 4 receptions for 70 yards while Dallas Clark and Pierre Garcon caught 9 and 5 passes respectively for 63 yards and a score each. Kevin Walter led the Texans receivers with 7 receptions for 70 yards while Andre Johnson caught 5 for 67 yards. Indianapolis (11-0) will play again next Sunday when they host the Tennessee Titans while Houston (5-6) makes the short commute to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars – also next Sunday.

The Colts saved their season last Sunday with a gutsy 24-20 win over the Steelers, and this week at home against the underachieving Houston Texans they will look to continue their run at a wild card spot in the AFC. The 3-6 Texans come in after an awful home outing against the Baltimore Ravens in which Sage Rosenfels threw four picks and the team was beat up bad 41-13.

Peyton Manning and the Colts offense didn’t make the key mistakes in Pittsburgh last week, and they scored 14 points on two key Steelers interceptions enroute to the four-point win. They have had the Texans number as well coming in, winning 12 of the last 13 vs Houston, and three straight.

The last time these two teams met was back on October 5th, and Texans were sailing until Rosenfels lost the ball a couple of times and the Colts rallied for a huge 31-27 win. Indy has also won all six home games against the Texans by an average of 19.3 points.

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You’re going to get arguments from both sides of the fence – that the Indianapolis Colts’ 31-27 victory over the Houston Texans Sunday at Reliant Stadium was due to: a) a monumental collapse by the Texans, especially by Sage Rosenfels, or b) Colts quarterback Peyton Manning did what he is famoud for – leading his team to an unlikely victory in the last few minutes. But to be fair, a little bit of both occurred.

Texans QB Sage Rosenfels, subbing for starter Matt Schaub, had the Texans ahead 27-10 before losing the ball twice to fumbles and throwing an interception; Colts rookie tight end Tom Santi caught a TD pass from Manning, narrowing the gap to 27-17 with 4:04 to go. Houston would recover the attempted onside kick; however, Rosenfels ran into cornerback Marlin Jackson, who stripped the ball while linebacker Gary Brackett ran back the fumble for a Colts TD, cutting the Texans’ lead to 27-24.

On the Texans’ next drive, Indianapolis defensive tackle Robert Mathis sacked Rosenfels, stripping him of the ball at the Houston 19. Manning would then proceed to hit wide receiver Reggie Wayne with a 5-yard TD pass with 1:54 remaining in the game, sealing the win for the Colts. Manning had a decent outing – not Manning-esque – but decent nonetheless, going 25-of-34 for 247 yards with 2 TD’s and an interception while Rosenfels also did well, going 21-of-33 for 246 yards, with a TD and an INT.

Addai led the Colts rushers with 71 rushing yards while rookie Steve Slaton led all Texans’ rushers with 93 yards on 16 carries; Ahman Green chipped in with 47 yards on 12 carries. Wayne led all Colts receivers with 97 yards on 7 receptions and a TD while Dallas Clark added 5 catches for 81 yards. Andre Johnson led all Texans receivers with 131 yards on 9 receptions and a TD; TE Owen Daniels caught 5 passes for 47 yards. Indianapolis (2-2) return home to host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday while Houston (0-4) remains home to take on the resurgent Miami Dolphins – also on Sunday.