Colts let AFC South lead slip away with critical loss to Texans

The Indianapolis Colts let an early lead in the AFC South standings slip away in Week 13, falling 20-16 to the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Colts left points on the board in a loss littered with missed opportunities and featured two turnovers on downs deep inside  Texans territory, plus a puzzling punt late in the first half that head coach Shane Steichen surely wants back. Then there is the inevitable kicking issue that resulted in a damaging divisional loss.

Running back Jonathan Taylor led the Colts with 85 rushing yards on 21 carries, while adding 36 receiving yards.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 276 passing yards, steering two long second-half scoring drives that allowed the Texans to firmly take control. Houston outgained Indy 364–281 and held the ball for nearly 35 minutes, grinding away on the connection between Stroud and receiver Nico Collins, who finished with a game-high five receptions for 98 receiving yards and a rushing touchdown.

The Colts repeatedly found themselves playing from behind, taking the lead just once after safety Camryn Bynum tracked down an overthrown pass from the opposite hash mark to pick off CJ Stroud and seize possession inside Texans’ territory.

It took the Colts just three plays to answer as quarterback Daniel Jones threw a perfect pass to receiver Alec Pierce near the back pylon for a 19-yard touchdown to cap a three-play, 42-yard drive. Pierce led Indy with four catches for 78 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Kicker Matt Badgley’s extra point attempt struck the left upright, which proved costly when the Colts trailed by four points in the fourth quarter.

Jones completed 14 of 27 passes for 201 passing yards and two touchdowns. Indianapolis’ veteran QB showed poise during a third-quarter march to level the score. The drive began with a 34-yard strike to Josh Downs. Rookie tight end Tyler Warren slipped into the flat for a 12-yard touchdown reception to tie it up at 13–13 late in the third quarter.

Each time the Colts seemed to gain momentum, Stroud and the Texans responded with another punishing, clock-draining drive, especially during the decisive drive early in the fourth. Houston reached the end zone with a misdirection as wideout Nico Collins took a jet-sweep-style handoff and raced untouched around the left side for a 7-yard rushing touchdown to take the lead.

Indianapolis had a pair of chances down the stretch, including an 8-play, 41-yard drive that stalled as Steichen settled in Badgley’s 42-yard field goal to pull within 20–16. The Texans defense stood strong as Jones misfired on four straight passes during a late fourth-quarter series after the Colts drove to the Houston 31, turning the ball over on downs with 1:45 left.

The Colts never saw the ball again, while the Texans bled the final 1:45 off the clock.

The defeat drops Indianapolis to 8-4 and currently the leader atop the AFC wild card. In a tightly packed AFC South race, Sunday’s result sets up a crucial matchup next week against Jacksonville for sole possession of first place.

There’s a huge problem though. Next Sunday, the Colts face the Jaguars at EverBank stadium. The Colts make an annual trip to Jacksonville and have not won a single game at EverBank stadium since 2014. The Jaguars have won three consecutive games, while the Colts lost three of the four games in November, all losses against AFC teams that could play a role in the fate of the 2025 season if the Colts don’t get themselves together.