Colts run out the clock, fall to Texans

In quite the dramatic battle, the Texans topped the Colts 38-35 Monday night.

First Qtr
The Texans chose to kick to start the game, and also started by bringing the heat on a 7 yd sack for QB Sam Bradford. Unshaken, Bradford came back on 3rd and 17 to hit HB Joseph Addai for a 42 yd gain. The Colts were the first to score, on a four minute drive that ended in a 13 yd TD pass to WR Mike Williams. The Texans responded in roughly three minutes, with QB Matthew Stafford connecting with WR Lenoy "The Playboy" Tucker for a 30 yd touchdown.

On the first play of the next drive, undrafted free agent and Texans OLB Antonio Coleman intercepted a pass by Bradford. However, the Texans couldn't finish the job and were forced to kick a field goal to end the first quarter ahead. 10-7, Texans.

Second Qtr
To start the second quarter, things were looking up for the Texans, as they forced a three-and-out. But then, their drive would last three and a half minutes before Stafford threw an interception on the 10 yd line, which Colts CB Aqib Talib returned from the five to go 95 yards for a touchdown. Houston/Milwaukee rallied back, with Stafford hitting WR Roddy White and then TE Travis Beckum, before completing a WR screen pass to Tucker, which he took 60 yards for a touchdown. But 1:30 left in the half is plenty of time for Colts Chad to make magic happen. Bradford would rally with HB Brandon Boutte, WR Reggie Wayne, and TE Jason Witten numerous times before hitting Boutte with a 13 yd TD pass with only 20 seconds left in the half. 21-17, Colts.

Third Qtr
The Texans, receiving to start the second half, handed the ball off to HB Earl "Bones" Bowman. Bones had 6, 8, and 9 yd carries before Stafford found Beckum for a 28 yard gain. Things were looking productive until, yet again, Stafford threw another interception to Talib, this time keeping the CB around their own 12 yard line. Houston stayed tough and forced another three-and-out, and shortly thereafter Stafford threw a 51 yard TD to newly-acquired TE Fred Davis. 24-21, Texans.

Somewhere around this point, Texans CB Sam Shields suffered an injury, a broken collarbone that will sideline him for 11 weeks (AKA, the whole season). This severe blow put first round draft pick and SS Marcus "The Doorman" Dore on the spot as Shields' replacement. Marcus was, in fact, the man who started the game out with a sack.

Fourth Qtr
The rest of the third quarter was filled with the Colts driving with determination, and culminated in the first play of the 4th, being a 25 yd TD pass to tight end and Bradford's favorite target, Dallas Clark. Like before, Houston was fast to respond, with a three-play, under two minute drive consisting of a 27 yd pass to HB Steve Slaton, a stuffed run by Bones, and then a 53 yd TD up top to Roddy White. On the first play of the Colts' next series, WR Pierre Garcon somehow blew past defenders to nab a huge 53 yd pass. And with 3:45 left, Dallas Clark got another touchdown, this one for seven yards.

But on this play, Dallas Clark took a mean hit that will keep him out of action for just two weeks with a torn shoulder labrum. Luck flipped back and forth in this game, as WR Calvin Mayes "Hayes" fumbled the ball on following kickoff. The ruling standing, the Colts then had the ball on Houston's 21 yard line, but SS Aspha Savage showed up big time with an interception as the ball popped out of Bradford's arm while being hit. Flustered, Stafford forced two incomplete passes before realizing that this may be the entire game, resting on 3rd and 10. He then got a grip, and connected with Tucker, Bones, and Davis before Tucker was taken out with a hip strain with less than a minute to go, costing the Texans an injury timeout. Stafford, unshaken, hit Roddy White for another 14 yd gain to take his team to the Colts' 6 yd line with 31 seconds to go. After an incompletion to Beckum, Tucker ran back onto the field after being cleared by the sideline crew, with a "medium" re-injury risk. He had a game to win. On the very next play, the Playboy nabbed a pass out of the air by Stafford to get the go-ahead points, 38-35, Texans. But the Colts weren't done yet.

In 23 seconds, Bradford passed for 19 yds to Williams, 28 yds to Garcon, and 16 yds to Witten to get to Houston's 33. However, with roughly 10 seconds left on the clock and the teams scrambling to get lined up, the Colts weren't able to hike the ball before the refs blew the whistle, saving the Texans from almost certain defeat. The teams were in fact lined up, but the "hike" button remained locked for a split second too long. So had one timeout, or one extra second been available, this game could have an entirely different outcome.

This was an amazing, dramatic game from start to finish, and I'm sad that I don't get to play Chad the rest of the season. He's a great player and a classy dude, and I love my games against him. Watch out for his vicious passing attack!

The Texans (4-1) look forward to another division game against the Jaguars (1-3), while the Colts (3-2) will move on to play the other team in the AFC South, the Titans (4-2).

Stats!
Colts / Texans
Total Offense Yards - 391 / 526
Passing Offense Yards - 390 / 483
Rushing Offense Yards - 1 / 43
First Downs - 14 / 17
3rd Down % - 50.0 / 80.0
Turnovers - 2 / 3
Redzone Scoring % - 75.0 / 66.7
Time of Possession - 15.3 / 16.8

Passing:
[IND] Sam Bradford QB - 24/36, 397 yds, 4 TDs, 2 INTs
[HOU] Matthew Stafford QB - 22/33, 483 yds, 5 TDs, 2 INTs

Rushing:
[IND] Brandon Boutte HB - 10 for 1 yd
[HOU] Earl Bowman HB - 9 for 43 yds

Receiving:
[IND] Pierre Garcon WR - 3 for 91 yds
[IND] Mike Williams WR - 4 for 75 yds, 1 TD
[IND] Brandon Boutte HB - 7 for 59 yds, 1 TD
[IND] Dallas Clark TE - 2 for 32 yds, 2 TDs
[HOU] Lenoy Tucker WR - 10 for 225 yds, 3 TDs
[HOU] Fred Davis TE 3 for 86 yds, 1 TD
[HOU] Roddy White WR - 4 for 81 yds, 1 TD

Thank you Chad for taking out Sam Shields.

But even more, THANK YOU MIKE for giving me the Colts with Dallas Clark on crutches. OH, SNAP!

radioheadhead wrote:Thank you Chad for taking out Sam Shields.

But even more, THANK YOU MIKE for giving me the Colts with Dallas Clark on crutches. OH, SNAP!

He tore up his shoulder. He's walking fine, so he's not on crutches. Come on, I thought you were a doctor!

Oh wait, that's the OTHER Australian.