Another Texans-Colts nail-biter came down to the wire. This time, the Texans didn't make the big plays at the end to close the game and earn a much needed win.
Instead, it was Indy celebrating, as they broke a nine-game losing streak dating back to last year. They also snapped a five game losing streak to the Texans, and four game losing streak to the Deep Steel Blue at home.
It almost went the other way but the Texans saw the Colts gain enough yardage to squeeze off a 53-yard field goal with little time left to do something about it.
The list of corrections on this one will be tackled this week, yet there were some key performance indicators pointing to this being a happy afternoon.
The defense got the takeaway train rolling early. Will Anderson Jr. got two strip sacks and recovered a fumble on his way to a stellar afternoon. Reed Blankenship grabbed a pick, as the Texans won the turnover battle three-zip.
But the offense didn't come alive until the fourth quarter. They were largely stuck in neutral for much of the afternoon, held to under 100 yards through three quarters.
C.J. Stroud and friends got into rhythm late, with a field goal and TD drive that enabled Houston to get the lead. After the go-ahead scored with under two minutes left, the Colts got a 35-yard line drive start on a touchback. To get into range, they'd need about 25 yards. They got 30 and connected on a 53-yard kick for the lead with not enough time left to seriously do something about it.
A couple of things are clear moving forward. The Texans still have an excellent defense. They kept Jonathan Taylor in check and did a good enough job on Daniel Jones.
The offense has enough tools to work with but they're not getting in gear at key times and need to find success in a hurry, or this season could slip away before the bye.
If anyone has the history, the culture and people to climb out of this, it's DeMeco Ryans' crew. But he'll be the first to tell you that digging out of early season holes is the last thing he wants to be known for.
Dallas is next and this Texas battle will take on a life of its own. No better time to get things moving in the right direction than next Sunday against your in-state rival.
