[ad_1]
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts faced a do-or-die situation in their season finale against the Houston Texans on Saturday.
With a win, the Colts would’ve made the playoffs. Instead, Houston ended Indianapolis’ season at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Texans beat the Colts, 23-19, and eliminated them from playoff contention in the final week of the regular season.
Houston’s passing attack proved dominant against the Colts’ secondary. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud went 20-of-26 for 264 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Nico Collins benefitted the most from Stroud’s big day, amassing nine catches for 195 yards and one touchdown.
Collins and Stroud set the tone early in the game, as the duo connected for a 75-yard touchdown on the Texans’ first play from scrimmage. The touchdown ultimately helped Houston jump out to an early 14-3 lead.
The Colts did rally back into the game, tying things at 14-14 thanks to a 49-yard run from tailback Jonathan Taylor.
Indianapolis and Houston then traded field goals to make the score 17-17 before the Texans dealt a pivotal blow.
Houston running back Devin Singletary scored a three-yard touchdown with 6:20 remaining in the game. The Texans then missed their extra point try, leaving the score at 23-17.
Indianapolis did drive deep into Houston territory in the game’s final moments. The Colts’ drive stalled at the Houston 15-yard-line. Running back Tyler Goodson dropped a pass from Minshew on fourth-and-1, and Indianapolis turned the ball over on downs.
Houston took a safety at the end of the game to make the final score 23-19.
Despite the game’s tight score, the Colts’ offense was almost one-dimensional Saturday. Indianapolis quarterback Gardner Minshew II finished the game 13-of-24 for 141 yards.
While Minshew struggled, Taylor excelled. The Wisconsin product ran the ball 30 times for 188 yards and a touchdown. No Colts receiver racked up more than 50 yards on the game.
Big picture
Indianapolis missed out on an AFC South title for the eighth year in a row in 2023. The Colts last won the division in 2014, when quarterback Andrew Luck guided them to an 11-5 record.
Indianapolis has not made the playoffs since 2020, when they fell to the Buffalo Bills in a Wild Card game.
Up next
With their loss to the Texans, the Colts’ 2023 campaign is officially over. Indianapolis finished the season with a 9-8 overall record.
The NFL has yet to release its 2024 season schedule, but a number of key dates lie ahead for Indianapolis.
The 2024 NFL Combine will begin Feb. 27 and run through March 4 in Indianapolis. The combine will be followed by the NFL Draft in Detroit, Michigan, April 25-27.
[ad_2]
Source link