The Indianapolis Colts (9-8) lost 23-19 in heartbreaking fashion against the Houston Texans (10-7) on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, ending the 2023 season.
There wasn’t a more physical game on the Colts’ schedule than this. Despite multiple injuries on both sides, each team put everything they had into winning this game.
The Colts had no answer for the combination of C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins while Jonathan Taylor did as much as he physically could to keep the team in the game.
Here’s our instant analysis of the Colts’ season-ending loss:
What went right
- RB Jonathan Taylor worked through an ankle injury to produce a 30-188-1 rushing line, giving the team a jolt with a 49-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
- The run defense held Devin Singletary to just 63 rushing yards on 24 attempts (2.6 yards per attempt).
- The offensive line was mostly solid in pass protection, especially before Braden Smith’s injury. The unit allowed 1.0 sacks and just three quarterback hits.
- The Colts had more total yards (360) and better yards per play (5.8) than the Texans.
- The team committed only three penalties.
What went wrong
- The Colts converted just 1-of-11 (9%) of their third-down attempts.
- They also failed to convert any of their three trips inside the red zone.
- Tyler Goodson’s drop will be the main focus of the loss, and Gardner Minshew’s placement made for a difficult play. They share equal blame on the play.
- No pass-catcher for the offense surpassed 50 receiving yards.
- The defense failed to record a single takeaway.
- There was no answer for Nico Collins, who paved the way for a ridiculous 9-195-1 receiving line. In two games against the Colts this season, Collins combined for 16 receptions for 341 yards and two touchdowns.
- Blown coverages from safeties Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas II on defense led to C.J. Stroud’s two passing touchdowns.
- Missed tackles on defense allowed the Texans to record explosive plays and extend drives.
The Bottom Line
It’s difficult to deny how tough the ending was to this game. The Colts had so many opportunities, and they had a chance to convert the fourth-down play, but they failed to execute. This game, and the season, don’t come down to that singular play. All three phases of the game deserve blame for the loss, but the fact that the Colts were even in this position with a rookie head coach, a backup quarterback and several other adversarial factors shows how far the team has come in just one offseason. This loss will certainly sting for a while, but the future is bright in Indy.
