We’ve already gone over the two-play sequence that sealed a tie instead of a possible win for the Houston Texans in their 20-20 Week 1 result against the Indianapolis Colts. On third-and-1 from the Indianapolis 47 with 40 seconds left, the decision was to give the ball to running back Rex Burkhead. The veteran lost two yards on the play, while preseason stud back Dameon Pierce, who had bullied the NFL to date, was not apparently an option.
Then, on fourth-and-3 from the Indy 49 and 26 seconds left, Smith made the call to punt for a tie. Which worked in the end if you want a tie, but the events didn’t make a ton of sense.
