Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud threw for 264 yards and two scores; Devin Singletary scored the go-ahead touchdown on a three-yard TD run with 6:20 to play and the Texans came up with a late stop for a 23-19 victory over Indianapolis on Saturday to secure playoff place
Sunday 7 January 2024 14:18, UK
Rookie quarterback CJ Stroud made all the right calls in the biggest game of his NFL career to help the Houston Texans secure a playoff spot.
Stroud threw for 264 yards and two scores, Devin Singletary scored the go-ahead touchdown on a three-yard TD run with 6:20 to play and the Texans came up with a late stop for a 23-19 victory over Indianapolis on Saturday night.
Now the waiting begins. Houston (10-7) either will be one of the AFC's three wild-card teams or host a wild-card weekend game as the AFC South champs - if Jacksonville lose at Tennessee.
Indianapolis (9-8) were eliminated from the playoff chase with their third loss in five weeks. They haven't made the postseason since 2020.
Reaching the postseason hasn't been easy for Houston with a new head coach, a new quarterback, a short-handed receiving corps and needing a win at a venue where the Texans had only won four times in the previous 20 seasons.
Still, Houston finished the job Saturday with a strong performance - and a little help from Indy.
A blown coverage allowed Stroud to throw a 75-yard TD pass to Nico Collins on the Texans' first play. Hours later, Colts running back Tyler Goodson was wide open when he dropped a pass on fourth-and-1 from the Houston 15 with 1:06 to go.
Stroud finished 20 of 26 with no turnovers and hooked up with Collins nine times for 195 yards and the score. Stroud has with a passer rating of 134.1.
For Indy, it was an odd night full of close calls. In the first half, the Colts struggled to move the ball, struggled to contain Stroud and rarely tried to stretch the field.
In the second half, they leaned heavily on Jonathan Taylor, who had his best game of the season - 30 carries for 188 yards and a 49-yard TD run early in the third quarter that led to a nifty 2-point conversion from Minshew to Mo Alie-Cox that tied it at 14.
But he injured his ankle and foot in the second half, went briefly to the locker room, then returned for Indy's final series only to be out of the game on the fateful fourth-down play. Coach Shane Steichen said that was by design.
Steichen's other big gamble didn't pay off, either. He opted to try a 57-yard field goal midway through the third quarter that would have broken the 14-14 tie, but Matt Gay's kick hit the right upright and five plays later Ka'imi Fairbairn made a 51-yarder to give Houston a 17-14 lead.
Indy tied it on Gay's 35-yard field goal on the ensuing drive, but Stroud responded with a 12-play, 73-yard drive that took more than seven minutes off the clock and ended with Singletary's TD run.
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said: "Everybody's fighting till that last play, that's what it's about. We punched our ticket.
"It wasn't pretty, but it was gritty. We fought and found a way to get it done."
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew said: "We all have plays that we want back. Just because it's the last one makes it that much more significant [the fourth-down call.
"I told him (Goodson) I'd throw that ball every time. I trust him."
Sunday triple-bill starts at 6pm with Jaguars at Titans, followed by Bears at Packers and Bills at Dolphins showdown for AFC East title - all games live on Sky Sports NFL. Stream the NFL and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership
