Colts can't finish potential game-winning drive, end season with 23-19 loss to Texans

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts are set for a Week 18 showdown against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts (9-7) must beat the Texans (9-7) in order to secure a playoff berth. 

Prior to kickoff, the Colts find themselves in a three-way tie in the AFC South. The Jaguars, Texans and Colts all hold 9-7 records. Jacksonville has a 4-1 division record while Indianapolis and Houston are tied with 3-2 divisional records. 

If the Colts can pull off a win, they will make the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Stay here all game long for live updates on the Colts' playoff push. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m.

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First Quarter:

• 15:00 — Texans win the toss and elect to defer. 
• 15:00 — Ka'imi Fairbairn's kickoff is not returned after a fair catch.
• 13:30 — Michael Pittman Jr. makes a catch for a Colts first down.
• 13:02 — Gardner Minshew scrambles out of the pocket and flicks the ball to Michael Pittman Jr. for a gain of 9 yards. 
• 12:30 — Jonathan Taylor runs for a gain of 3 yards and a Colts first down at the Houston 42 yard line.
• 11:51 — Minshew scrambles and runs for a gain of 9 yards to the Houston 33 yard line.
• 11:17 — Jonathan Taylor breaks away for a big run and a gain of 13 yards. The Colts have a first down at the Texans' 20 yard line.
• 9:24 — On 3rd & 4, Gardner Minshew launches a long pass near the end zone intended for Tyler Goodson. However, the ball sails past Goodson and falls incomplete. 
• 9:19 — The Colts attempt to go for it on 4th & 4 at the Houston 14 yard line. However, a delay of game penalty forces the Colts to abandon going for it and bring out kicker Matt Gay.
• 9:15 — Matt Gay knocks through a 38-yard field goal for the Colts' first points of the night.
  • Score: Colts 3, Texans 0
• 9:15 — Matt Gay's kickoff goes into the end zone for a touchback. 
• 9:06 — C.J. Stroud starts the drive with a long bomb to Nico Collins for a 75-yard touchdown pass. Ka'imi Fairbairn's PAT is good.
  • Score: Texans 7, Colts 3
• 9:06 — Ka'imi Fairbairn's kickoff is returned by Josh Downs for a gain of 18 yards. The Colts take over at their own 23 yard line.
• 8:58 — Gardner Minshew is sacked by Christian Harris for a loss of 8 yards bringing up 3rd & 18. 
• 8:18 — Jonathan Taylor runs for a gain of 10 yards, but it is not enough for a first down. The Colts have their first three-and-out of the game.
• 7:23 — Rigoberto Sanchez's 51-yard punt is not returned after Desmond King II calls for a fair catch at the Texans' 24 yard line.
• 7:23 — The Texans take over at their own 29 yard line. Devin Singletary runs up the middle for a gain of 5 yards.
• 6:13 — On 3rd & 3, C.J. Stroud runs a quarterback keeper up the middle for a Texans first down.
• 5:34 — Stroud finds Nico Collins at the Texans' 41-yard line for a 6-yard gain.
• 5:01 — Devin Singletary runs to the Texans' 43-yard line for a gain of 2 yards. 
• 4:27 — E.J. Speed and Zaire Franklin stop Singletary in the backfield for a short loss and a Texans 4th down. 
• 3:31 — Cameron Johnston's punt goes 44 yards to the Colts' 14 yard line. Josh Downs calls for a fair catch.
• 3:31 — The Colts take over on downs at their own 14 yard line. Jonathan Taylor runs for a gain of 14 yards and a first down at the Colts 28 yard line. 
• 2:55 — Minshew can't connect with Alec Pierce bringing up 2nd & 10.
• 2:51 — Minshew hits Will Mallory on target, but Mallory is covered well by DeAndre Houston-Carson and the pass goes incomplete.
• 2:47 — On 3rd & 10, Gardner Minshew launches a deep ball to Alec Pierce, but the pass is overthrown and goes incomplete. Braden Smith is flagged for offensive holding. The Texans decline the penalty. 
• 2:29 — Rigoberto Sanchez's punt goes 52 yards to the Houston 20 yard line. Desmond King II returns the punt for 15 yards.
• 2:29 — C.J. Stroud opens the Texans' drive with an incomplete pass to Dalton Schultz.
• 2:24 — The Texans score a first down after C.J. Stroud finds Nico Collins for a 12-yard gain. 
• 1:51 — Devin Singletary is stopped by DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart for a short gain.
• 1:10 — Singletary is given the ball again an runs for a 4-yard gain to the Colts' 48 yard line. 
• 0:21 — On 3rd & 10, C.J. Stroud passes short to Nico Collins for a gain of 7 yards as the clock winds down on the first quarter.

Second Quarter:

• 15:00 — Cameron Johnston has a near perfect punt that forces the Colts to start their drive at their own 1 yard line.
• 14:51 — Teair Tart is flagged for a neutral zone infraction giving the Colts a 1st & 5 at their own 6 yard line. 
• 14:51 — Jonathan Taylor runs to the Colts' 9 yard line for a gain of 3.
• 14:11 — On 2nd & 2, Jonathan Taylor runs up the middle for a gain of 5 yards and a Colts first down.
• 12:52 — On 2nd & 7, Gardner Minshew passes short to Jonathan Taylor for a gain of 6 yards. 
• 12:09 — Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs accidentally collide during a handoff bringing up a Colts 4th & 2.
• 11:11 — Rigoberto Sanchez has a 63-yard punt returned by Desmond King II to the Texans' 15 yard line. 
• 11:11 — Segun Olubi stops Devin Singletary for a short gain.
• 10:39 — On 2nd & 9, Stroud passes short to John Metchie III for a 5-yard gain.
• 9:53 — The Texans move the chains after C.J. Stroud finds Dalton Schultz for a 5-yard gain.
• 8:30 — Kenny Moore II and Zaire Franklin bring up a Texans 4th down after stopping Xavier Hutchinson short of the line to gain.
• 7:58 — The Texans attempt to go for it on 4th down but a false start pushes them back 5 yards and brings out the punting unit.
• 7:58 — Cameron Johnston punts 44 yards to the Colts 11 yard line.
  • Will Mallory has left the game with a hamstring injury and will not return.
• 7:51 — The Colts take over on downs and begin the drive with an incomplete pass from Gardner Minshew to Mo-Alie Cox.
• 6:23 — The Texans hold the Colts to a three-and-out. Rigoberto Sanchez punts 51 yards to the Houston 30-yard line. Desmond King II returns the punt and is pushed out of bounds after a gain of 13 yards.
• 6:23 — Houston takes over at their own 43 yard line. Devin Singletary begins the drive with a 7-yard run to midfield.
• 5:41 — C.J. Stroud finds Eric Saubert for a gain of 5 yards and a Texans first down.
• 4:30 — Devin Singletary runs to the Colts' 37 yard line for a gain of 2.
• 3:52 — On 3rd & 2, C.J. Stroud passes to Nico Collins for a 29 yard gain, bringing the Texans into the red zone at the Colts 8 yard line.
• 2:27 — Devin Singletary runs for a gain of 3 yards and is stopped at the Colts' 1 yard line by Jaylon Jones.
• 2:00 — The two-minute warning sounds as the Texans are in scoring position.
• 1:57 — C.J. Stroud easily finds Andrew Beck in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown pass. Ka'imi Fairbairn's PAT is good.
  • Score: Texans 14, Colts 3
• 1:57 — Ka'imi Fairbairn kicks off into the end zone for a touchback.
• 1:57 — Jonathan Taylor runs right for an 11-yard gain and a first down.
• 1:35 — Gardner Minshew passes to Josh Downs for a gain of 16 yards and another Colts first down.
• 1:11 — The Texans are penalized for too many men on the field bringing up a 1st & 6 for the Colts.
• 1:04 — Gardner Minshew's pass to Josh Downs goes incomplete. However, Jalen Pitre is flagged for illegal contact giving the Colts another first down.
• 0:59 — Penalties giveth and they also taketh away. Michael Pittman Jr. is flagged for a false start.
• 0:59 — Minshew's pass to Pittman goes incomplete.
• 0:54 — On 2nd & 15, Gardner Minshew looks long for Mo-Alie Cox, but the pass is overthrown bringing up 3rd down.
• 0:48 — In an attempt to give Matt Gay better field position for a field goal kick, Jonathan Taylor runs up the middle to the Houston 34 yard line for a gain of 10 yards.
• 0:40 — The Texans call their first timeout of the half.
• 0:35 — Matt Gay's 52-yard field goal is good.
  • Score: Texans 14, Colts 6
• 0:35 — Matt Gay's 65 yard kickoff falls into the end zone for a touchback.
• 0:35 — Houston's Xavier Hutchinson is flagged for a false start bringing up a Texans 1st & 15.
• 0:30 — The Colts call their first timeout of the half.
• 0:30 — C.J. Stroud pitches to Devin Singletary, but E.J. Speed and DeForest Buckner stop the Texans' running back for a short gain.
• 0:23 — The Colts call their second timeout of the game.
• 0:23 — C.J. Stroud's pass to Xavier Hutchinson is incomplete, stopping the clock and bringing up 4th down for the Texans.
• 0:07 — Cameron Johnston's punt goes 53 yards to the Colts 24-yard line. Josh Downs receives the punt and returns it for a 10-yard gain.
• 0:00 — Gardner Minshew has all the time in the world, but is unable to find an open receiver and throws the ball away, ending the first half.
  • Halftime: Texans 14, Colts 6

Third Quarter:

• 15:00 — Matt Gay's kickoff goes into the end zone for a touchback.
• 15:00 — C.J. Stroud passes deep to Nico Collins for a 23-yard gain.
• 14:17 — Stroud passes short to Devin Singletary for a gain of 2 yards.
• 13:30 — A Texans false start brings up 2nd & 13.
• 13:15 — C.J. Stroud is sacked by DeForest Buckner for a loss of 8 yards, bringing up 3rd & 21.
• 12:34 — The Colts stop the Texans second-half opening drive bringing up 4th & 15 for Houston.
• 11:46 — Cameron Johnston's 50-yard punt goes to the Colts' 7 yard line. Josh Downs returns the punt to the Indianapolis 13 yard line.
• 11:46 — The Colts take over deep in their own territory. Jonathan Taylor gets the handoff from Gardner Minshew and runs for a gain of 11-yards and a Colts first down.
• 11:09 — Jonathan Taylor runs up the middle for a 4-yard gain.
• 10:32 — Gardner Minshew finds Kylen Granson deep for a 23-yard pass and a Colts first down.
• 9:56 — Jonathan Taylor breaks away for a massive 49-yard touchdown run. Minshew finds Mo-Alie Cox in the end zone for a successful two-point conversion.
  • Score: Colts 14, Texans 14
• 9:56 — Matt Gay's 65-yard kickoff falls into the end zone for a touchback.
• 9:56 — Devin Singletary runs for a short gain.
• 9:17 — Out of the shotgun, C.J. Stroud's pass intended for Xavier Hutchinson falls incomplete, bringing up a Texans 4th & 8.
• 8:58 — Cameron Johnston's 62-yard punt is returned by Josh Downs to the Colts' 20 yard line.
• 8:58 — Zack Moss breaks away for a 7 yard rush.
• 8:22 — Moss gets the ball again and breaks a big 11-yard run for a Colts first down.
• 7:39 — Jonathan Taylor breaks away for a massive 22-yard gain bringing the Colts to the Houston 40-yard line.
• 5:42 — After multiple big gains from Jonathan Taylor, the Colts offense stalls inside Houston territory. Matt Gay attempts a 57-yard kick on 4th & 9, but the kick hits the right upright and is no good. Texans take over at their own 39 yard line.
• 5:37 — On 1st & 10, C.J. Stroud scrambles up the middle after being unable to find an open receiver. He makes it to the Colts' 41-yard line for a 12-yard gain before being tackled by Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed.
• 4:57 — Devin Singletary runs for a 4-yard gain.
• 4:20 — C.J. Stroud scrambles for a gain of 4 yards.
• 3:50 — Darrell Baker Jr. breaks up a pass from C.J. Stroud intended for Xavier Hutchinson. E.J. Speed is injured on the play.
• 3:39 — Ka'imi Fairbairn knocks through a 51-yard field goal to give the Texans the lead.
  • Score: Texans 17, Colts 14
• 3:39 — Fairbairn's kickoff goes 65 yards into the end zone for a touchback.
• 3:39 — The Colts take over at their own 25 yard line. Jonathan Taylor runs for a 1-yard gain.
• 3:30 — Gardner Minshew passes to Mo Alie-Cox for a 12-yard gain and a Colts first down.
• 1:43 — Gardner Minshew passes deep to Michael Pittman Jr. for an 18-yard gain and a Colts first down. Desmond King II is flagged for unnecessary roughness after his hit on Pittman Jr.
• 1:27 — Minshew again finds Pittman, this time for a 5-yard gain.
• 0:48 — Zack Moss heads up the middle for a 4-yard gain. The clock runs out on the third quarter. Moss' run was initially ruled short of the line to gain. Shane Steichen threw the challenge flag and got the play reversed for a Colts first down. Jonathan Taylor is seen walking to the locker room after the play.

Fourth Quarter:

• 15:00 — Zack Moss runs up the middle for a 2-yard gain.
  • Jonathan Taylor is listed as questionable to return with a heel injury.
• 14:20 — Gardner Minshew passes to Mo Alie-Cox for a 6 yard gain, but not enough to move the chains.
• 13:33 — Matt Gay kicks through his third field goal of the day, making a 35-yarder to tie the game.
  • Score: Colts 17, Texans 17
• 13:33 — Matt  Gay's 68-yard kickoff is returned by Dameon Pierce to the Texans' 27 yard line.
• 13:27 — C.J. Stroud hits Beck for an 8-yard gain.
• 12:51 — Devin Singletary runs for a 3-yard gain.
• 12:10 — C.J. Stroud is sacked by Ronnie Harrison Jr. for a loss of 10 yards.
• 11:26 — The Texans bounce back from the sack with a 17 yard pass from Stroud to Schultz.
• 10:54 — A short pass from C.J. Stroud to Dalton Schultz gives the Texans a first down at midfield.
• 10:19 — Andrew Beck of the Texans is flagged for holding.
• 9:43 — What appeared to be a throwaway pass from C.J. Stroud ended up being caught by Nico Collins for a 14-yard gain.
• 8:49 — C.J. Stroud frees himself from intense pressure and finds Dalton Schultz for a 9-yard gain.
• 7:24 — On first down, E.J. Speed is able to stop Devin Singletary in the backfield for a 3-yard loss.
• 6:45 — Things are starting to go sour for the Colts. C.J. Stroud finds Nico Collins for a 23-yard gain, bringing the Texans inside the Colts' 10-yard line.
• 6:20 — A 3-yard run from Devin Singletary results in a Houston touchdown. Fairbairn's PAT is NO GOOD.
  • Score: Texans 23, Colts 17
• 6:20 — Fairbairn's kickoff goes into the end zone for a touchback.
• 6:20 — Jonathan Taylor returns to the game only to be stopped for a 1-yard loss.
• 5:45 — Gardner Minshew passes short to Josh Downs, who is able to break away for a big 28-yard run.
• 4:24 — Gardner Minshew again finds Josh Downs for a 4-yard pickup.
• 3:46 — Jonathan Taylor bursts up the middle for a 5-yard gain, but is short of the first down. However, the Texans are flagged for illegal use of hands to the face, resulting in a Colts first down.
• 3:41 — Jonathan Taylor runs up the middle for a 5-yard gain.
• 2:27 — Jonathan Taylor runs up the middle once again for another 5-yard gain. Originally, the ball is ruled short of the line to gain. However, the referees eventually give the Colts a first down.
• 2:00 — The two-minute warning sounds with the Colts needing to buckle down and take care of business.
• 1:54 — Jonathan Taylor runs out of bounds for a 2-yard gain.
• 1:54 — JT again runs for a gain of 6 and is pushed out of bounds.
• 1:48 — JT is stopped short of the line to gain bringing up a crucial 4th down for the Colts. Gardner Minshew attempts to drive the Texans offsides, but instead calls a timeout.
• 1:06 —  Gardner Minshew has Tyler Goodson wide open, but Goodson cannot complete the catch, likely ending the season for the Colts.
• 0:58 — The Texans attempt to run out the clock as the Colts burn all their timeouts.
• 0:08 — The Texans call timeout on 4th & 2.
• 0:01 — Cameron Johnston runs out of bounds in the end zone for a safety.
  • Score: Texans 23, Colts 19
• 0:00 — The safety punt ends the game.
  • FINAL: Texans 23, Colts 19.

AP Pregame Notes:

HOUSTON (9-7) at INDIANAPOLIS (9-7)

Saturday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN.

OPENING LINE: Texans by 1 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Texans 8-8, Colts 9-7.

SERIES RECORD: Colts lead 33-10-1.

LAST MEETING: Colts beat Texans 31-20 on Sept. 17, 2023, in Houston.

LAST WEEK: Texans beat Titans 26-3, Colts beat Raiders 23-20.

TEXANS OFFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (22), PASS (7), SCORING (14T).

TEXANS DEFENSE: OVERALL (14), RUSH (3T), PASS (25T), SCORING (13).

COLTS OFFENSE: OVERALL (15), RUSH (13), PASS (20), SCORING (10).

COLTS DEFENSE: OVERALL (24), RUSH (27), PASS (17), SCORING (27).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Texans plus-9; Colts plus-3.

TEXANS PLAYER TO WATCH: DE Will Anderson Jr. is expected to play despite dealing with an ankle injury. The third overall pick in the draft returned last week after missing two games with the injury and still had two sacks despite playing limited snaps. His seven sacks this season are a franchise record for a rookie.

COLTS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Gardner Minshew. He already has won a career-best seven games this season. Securing No. 8, and earning a playoff berth, would give Minshew a new status around Indy. To do it, he'll need to limit the turnovers and needs to take advantage of a pass defense that allows 240.4 yards per game.

KEY MATCHUP: Stroud vs. Colts pass defense. The first indication of Stroud's incredible season came in the first meeting in Week 2. Despite getting sacked six times, Stroud went 30 of 47 with 384 yards and two TDs. He's been good in the 12 games since, getting sacked 25 times while throwing just five interceptions. With a young and potentially short-handed secondary and a strong pass rush, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley must find ways to make Stroud uncomfortable.

KEY INJURIES: DE Jonathan Greenard leads Houston with a career-high 12½ sacks, but could miss his second straight game with an injured ankle. LT Laremy Tunsil is expected to play despite leaving Sunday's game and missing practice this week an injured groin. WR Noah Brown has missed practice this week with a back injury. ... It's unclear whether the Colts will have CB Kenny Moore II (back) and No. 2 RB Zack Moss (right forearm). Both were inactive last week. C Ryan Kelly (ankle) and LG Quenton Nelson (ankle) also were on this week's injury report.

SERIES NOTES: Indy has won five of the past seven in this series with the teams also playing to one tie. ... Houston's lone win during that span came in last year's season finale and was the franchise's fourth victory in Indy. ... These teams entered their previous matchup with Stroud, Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson and first-year coaches Shane Steichen and DeMeco Ryans all seeking their first career wins. ... The Colts are chasing a 13th season sweep of the Texans. There have been seven splits among these AFC South foes since Houston's inaugural season in 2002. ... The Texans and Colts played one playoff game with Indy winning 21-7 in January 2019 at Houston.

STATS AND STUFF: The winner clinches a playoff berth and will win the AFC South — if Jacksonville loses. A loss ends one team's season. ... Houston moved into the playoff race by winning six of its past nine following a loss at Carolina. It is 3-4 on the road this season. ... Houston most recently made the postseason in 2019. … This is the first time the Texans have not played in the early Sunday time slot since Week 9 in 2022. … The Texans are 4-1 all time in Saturday games. ... Houston held Tennessee to 1 of 12 on third down and had its third six-sack game of the season last week. … The Texans have tied the franchise's single-season sacks record (45). … Rookie QB C.J. Stroud has 21 TD passes and just five interceptions. He needs 156 yards to reach 4,000. … WR Nico Collins (1,022 yards) is the fourth player in team history with a 1,000-yard season. … DT Sheldon Rankins scored the first touchdown of his career on a 13-yard fumble return last week. … DE Jerry Hughes, who was drafted by the Colts, had a sack and forced a fumble last week, giving him 70 sacks and 19 forced fumbles in his career. ... Houston has alternated wins and losses each of the past seven weeks while Indy has alternated wins and losses each of the past five weeks. Both teams won last week. ... The Colts have won six of their past eight, including three straight home games to improve to 4-4 on their home turf. ... Another victory would make Steichen the fifth consecutive first-year, non-interim coach to lead Indy into the postseason. The others are Tony Dungy, Jim Caldwell, Chuck Pagano and Frank Reich. ... Indy is 6-2 in one-possession games this season, giving it the league's second-best winning percentage at .750. ... Minshew went 19 of 23 with 171 yards and one TD pass in relief of the injured Richardson at Houston. ... Colts RB Jonathan Taylor has rushed for five TDs in his past four games and had a season-high 96 yards in last weekend's victory. ... WR Michael Pittman Jr. needs eight catches to go from sixth to third on the franchise's single-season reception list, leapfrogging his coach, Reggie Wayne, and Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison. Pittman has caught a career-high 104 passes this season. ... WR Josh Downs needs one catch to break Indy's single-season rookie record (Bill Brooks, 65 in 1986). ... The Colts are fifth in the NFL with a franchise-record 49 sacks.

FANTASY TIP: Stroud certainly looks like a solid play against a defense that has struggled at times and has allowed the NFL's seventh-highest point total. But he's only produced six TDs on the road all season — four passing and two rushing. And while Taylor seems to be rounding into form after missing seven games, the Texans have been strong against the run. So this week's sneaky play is Pittman, who thrives under pressure.