The overall results were mixed, but two major plays stood out.
The Indianapolis Colts were seemingly never out of the game against the Houston Texans on Sunday. Through much of the first half, it actually felt like they held the advantage and were the better team. Yes, Anthony Richardson had his issues, but his completion percentage doesn’t tell the whole story as the majority of his passes were on target but broken up. The defense applied pressure on C.J. Stroud and didn’t allow him to become overly comfortable. The majority of the game was manageable for the Colts, but two moments stand out. Those two moments had a direct impact on the final score.
With thirty seconds left before halftime, facing a third and three, Richardson forced a pass to Josh Downs that was intercepted. The defender returned the ball to the Colts 7-yard line, and the Texans cashed in on the very next play. Before the interception, the score was tied, which was the best case scenario for the Colts who, outside of a long touchdown to Downs, had struggled to move the ball. A tie game, on the road against your division rival, was manageable. That mistake was costly, however, as it proved to be the difference in the final score.
The second moment was positive, yet crushing at the same time. As the Texans were driving late in the game and threatening to put this one on ice, Dayo Odeyingbo recovered a fumble on a botched pitch from Stroud to Joe Mixon. From Houston’s 18, he ran the fumble all the way in for a Colts touchdown. That score, after the extra point, would have put the Colts up four with three minutes remaining in the game. Unfortunately, it was ruled that Odeyingbo was down by contact, and the touchdown was wiped off the board. The Colts were only able to go backwards on the following drive and had to punt it back to the Texans.
Sports is all about moments. Some are small and don’t stand out, but can make a huge difference. Others, like the ones we saw on Sunday, are glaring and crushing. Give the Colts back the interception before the half or the fumble for a touchdown and things might have been much different. Instead of being .500, the Colts could be 5-3 and tied for first place in the division. At this point, it is what it is. Disappointing but unchanging. We can only hope the Colts will find themselves on the receiving end of such positive plays going forward.
