The league's best offense versus the league's best defense.
That's a game that's bound to have some fireworks, and the Colts' Week 13 matchup against the Houston Texans on Sunday did not disappoint. It was exciting, it was intense and it was high-stakes, with the Colts trying to keep firm hold of their first-place spot in the AFC.
It wasn't the prettiest game, with both teams struggling to stay consistent offensively, and the Colts were ultimately unable to get the better of the Texans defense, losing 20-16 and falling to 8-4 on the season.
The Colts punted on all three first-quarter possessions, able to record just one first down. Daniel Jones was sacked once, and Jonathan Taylor had four carries for 23 yards as the Colts felt the intensity of the Texans defense early. They possessed the ball for just over five minutes, while the Texans held the ball for nine minutes and 30 seconds.
The Texans did score just one field goal in the first quarter, but the 13-play, 64-yard drive took just over six minutes off the clock. Grover Stewart had a crucial pass breakup to force the field goal, and on the Texans' following possession defensive tackle Chris Wormley sacked C.J. Stroud for a loss of nine yards to force a punt.
Sauce Gardner sustained a calf injury in the first quarter and did not return.
Taylor continued to roll in the second quarter, gathering some momentum with a 33-yard run to bring the Colts into Houston's territory for the first time. However, the Colts turned the ball over on downs after a fumbled snap on fourth-and-one.
The energy in Lucas Oil Stadium quickly changed, though, when safety Cam Bynum picked off Stroud on the first play of the Texans' ensuing possession, putting the Colts right back in the driver's seat at Houston's 42-yard line. This time, Jones settled in and led a remarkable three-play touchdown drive that featured two 19-yard passes to Alec Pierce, who did exactly what he's known to do – high-point a catch in double coverage – to score the first Colts touchdown of the day.
Kicker Michael Badgley missed the extra point, keeping the score at 6-3. The Texans then quickly responded with a touchdown of their own to retake the lead. The two teams traded possessions until halftime, at which point the Texans took a 10-6 lead into the locker room.
The Texans started the second half with the ball and marched down the field for a time-sucking eight-minute drive that ended in a field goal; a third-down sack by Adetomiwa Adebawore for a loss of 12 yards forced the Texans to take the 43-yard field goal.
Jones then executed a dominant nine-play, 79-yard drive that featured two stellar completions to Josh Downs, a 32-yard pass interference call against Pierce to put the Colts at the Texans' 12-yard line and a play that resulted in a wide open Tyler Warren in the end zone. The touchdown was Warren's fourth of the season and tied the game at 13.
Once again, however, the Texans responded in kind, taking five minutes off the clock and retaking the lead, 20-13.
Badgley scored a 42-yard field goal to cap off an eight-play, 41-yard drive, and the Colts then forced the Texans to turn the ball over on downs with crucial third-and-one and fourth-and-one stops by Neville Gallimore and Zaire Franklin.
Starting at their own 17-yard line, Jones connected with Pierce to bring the Colts into Houston's territory, but an incomplete pass brought up fourth-and-nine at Houston's 31-yard line; another incompletion turned the ball over on downs. The Texans would go on to run down the clock and hand the Colts their first home loss of the season.
