Colts Fall to Houston Texans, No Longer Lead AFC South

INDIANAPOLIS–The Indianapolis Colts no longer lead the AFC South after they lost to the Houston Texans on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium 20-16.

The loss drops the Colts to 8-4 on the year. With the Jacksonville Jaguars beating Tennessee on Sunday, both the Jaguars and Colts are 8-4. The Jaguars have the lead in the AFC South due to the conference record tiebreaker. The Texans improve to 7-5 on the year, so they are a game behind both of those teams.

The Colts got on the board with a three play, 42 yard drive capped off by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Jones to Alec Pierce. That put the Colts ahead 6-3, but Colts kicker Michael Badgley missed the extra point.

Houston responded with a 67-yard drive in 8 plays. Nick Chubb ended that drive with a four-yard touchdown to put the Texans ahead 10-6 in the second quarter. The Texans didn’t trail after that.

The Colts did tie it up at 13-13 on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jones to tight end Tyler Warren.

The Texans took the lead for good after going 65 yards in 12 plays that lasted 5:13. Nico Collins ran it in from 7 yards out for the touchdown. On that drive, Colts cornerback Kenny Moore was called for a very suspect pass interference penalty that drew the ire of Colts fans in attendance.

The Colts responded with a field goal. After stopping Houston on the next drive, they turned the ball over on downs with less than two minutes to play and a run by Houston running back Woody Marks for a first down sealed the victory.

The Colts and Jaguars play each other next Sunday at 1 pm in Jacksonville. The last time the Colts got a win in Jacksonville was in 2014.

Jones, who was dealing with a fracture in his fibula, completed 14 of 27 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns for Indianapolis.

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor carried the ball 21 times for 85 yards. Alec Pierce led the way in receiving with 78 yards on four receptions and a touchdown.

Texans quarterback CJ Stroud threw for 276 yards and an interception. Collins led the Texans in receiving with five receptions for 98 yards.

Zaire Franklin had 13 total tackles for the Colts.