Houston-Indianapolis was the most exciting game on the Sunday early afternoon slate as the Texans got a huge win.
In the biggest AFC South matchup of the season, the Indianapolis Colts hosted the Houston Texans in an absolute thriller at Lucas Oil Stadium. Houston pulled out a 20-16 win, improving to 7-5 as the Colts dropped to 8-4 and lost at home for the first time this season. It’s been a miraculous turnaround for the Texans, who opened the year about as poorly as any team could, yet clawed their way back into the mix despite heavy injuries to CJ Stroud and others. With Stroud returning from a concussion, this was his first game back, and he delivered exactly what Houston needed to leave Indianapolis with a massive divisional win.
The game opened with a long Texans drive that ended in a field goal for a 3-0 lead. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, who battled a leg injury throughout the game and was visibly limited, answered with a 19-yard touchdown strike to Alec Pierce. But with the missed extra point, Indy held only a 6-3 edge. Houston responded immediately, punching in a goal-line touchdown to move ahead 10-6.
After halftime, the Texans put together another composed drive that stalled but still produced a field goal, extending the lead to 13-6. The Colts answered behind rookie breakout tight end Tyler Warren, who hauled in a touchdown to tie the game 13-13 and set up a tense fourth quarter between two teams fighting for control of the division.
That’s when Houston delivered its best offensive series in weeks. A 12-play, 65-yard masterpiece ended with Nico Collins taking a jet sweep, turning the corner, and scoring from seven yards out to put the Texans up 20-13. Indianapolis again countered with a field goal to cut the deficit to 20-16, but the turning point came on a high-pressure fourth-and-short. The Texans’ defense completely overwhelmed Jonathan Taylor, swarming him at the line and forcing a fumble that Houston recovered on downs. From there, the Texans leaned on the ground game, controlled the clock, and closed out one of their biggest wins of the season.
Houston now looks ahead to a marquee showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 7, entering that game with momentum, health, and full belief in its postseason push.