Winning in Indy is rare and precious. It had only happened three times prior to Sunday's roller coaster 32-31 Houston victory.
We didn't know what to expect when we started the broadcast with the Texans facing a Colts team that has performed well below expectations but still has a lot of names you know that can do damage. What we got was a thriller that we might talk about for a long time for a variety of reasons.
The Texans scored on the opening drive, with Davis Mills hitting Brandin Cooks for the first of three TD passes on the day. Cooks had his best game of the year, going over 100 yards on five grabs including a clutch 4th-and-12 conversion on the go-ahead drive.
But it was Jordan Akins – former Texan, former Giant, current Texan - who grabbed the biggest piece of the spotlight with two touchdown catches and the pivotal two-point conversion reception to take the lead.
Sam Ehlinger got the start for Indy and played well enough to get his team a seven point lead with little time for the Texans to do something about it. The Colts looked very different from opening day, especially on offense with players like Ehlinger, Zack Moss and Deon Jackson making huge plays.
The game had ups and downs for both teams. Each team threw a pick-six. The Texans' was courtesy of Jonathan Greenard, who took an errant pass, created by Rasheem Green pressure, and ran it into the end zone.
However, the last Houston drive was even more special. Two fourth-and-long conversions got the Texans the TD they needed. A fourth-and-20 pass to the end zone went through the hands of Rodney McLeod, ultimately caught by Akins.
Twitter was blowing up with certain fans and media 'upset' that the Texans didn't get the number one pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. But no one can ask players and coaches to not put their best foot forward and compete.
Now comes the offseason, with a ton of work on the way to make sure the Texans dramatically improve in 2023. We'll start up the Texans Radio weeknight shows (6-7pm on Sports Radio 610 and the Texans App) right after the Super Bowl and get you ready for the draft. And beyond.
