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Colts hold off fourth-quarter rally to defeat Texans

Sep 23, 2007 - 9:50 PM By Andrew J. Ferraro PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- After getting a scare from Tennessee the previous week, the Indianapolis Colts handled the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Joseph Addai rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns and Peyton Manning threw for 273 yards and one score, leading the Colts to a 30-24 victory over the Texans.

The win left Indianapolis (3-0) in sole possesion of first place in the AFC South.

The game was not as close as the score indicated. The Colts opened a 30-17 lead before the Texans got a late score on Matt Schaub's 1-yard TD toss to Vonta Leach with 2:53 remaining.

"There was nothing typical about this win," Colts coach Tony Dungy. "I know we are excited to get this win. We had that tough home opener, and then we knew it was going to be difficult to come on to the road for two division games.

"We could never get that big play to knock them out, but we made enough plays when we needed them."

Already without running back Ron Dayne (chest), the Texans lost two more key players.

Running back Ahman Green hurt his left knee in the first half and Jacoby Jones, who ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown, injured his left shoulder in the third quarter.

"Today, we got some guys beat up," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "We turned the ball over and when you do that against this group (Colts), you are in trouble. We did not get into a good rhythm with the running game and that starts with me calling the plays."

Schaub completed 27-of-33 passes for 236 yards but threw two interceptions. Schaub did complete one long pass - 41 yards - to Andre Davis that set up a two-yard score by Samkon Gado on the Texans' second play of the fourth quarter. That score pulled the Texans within 27-17.

Leading at halftime, the Colts scored the first 13 points of the second half to go up, 27-10, before Gado's touchdown.

"Once they got a lead, they played for the pass, so we had to change our game plan a little bit," Schaub said. "They are a physical defense and they are very fast. The are on one side of the field one minute and then on the other side the next."

Adam Vinatieri kicked a 36-yard field goal, capping an eight-play drive to start the second half.

Then, after Schaub was intercepted by Rocky Boiman on Houston's ensuing drive, the Colts needed just four plays before Addai scored on an 8-yard run for his second TD of the game.

Vinatieri added a 35-yard field goal with 10:40 left to make it 30-17.

"That's what we preach around here defensively - keep playing hard," Boiman said. "We just keep playing hard. We fly around the ball and made some good plays."

Both teams scored on their opening two drives, but it was the Colts who had the advantage going into the break.

Jerome Mathis started the game with an 84-yard kickoff return for a TD - the third of his career.

But Manning and Addai teamed on a 15-play drive to tie things just under four minutes later on Addai's 4-yard TD scamper.

Kris Brown converted his 12th consecutive field goal - a 33-yarder - to give the Texans a 10-7 lead on the first play of the second quarter.

But Addai, who had 37 yards rushing on 13 carries in the first half, scored from 4 yards out to put the Colts ahead, 14-10.

Manning was unhappy the Colts' managed only one touchdown - and three field goals - on their four trips inside the red zone in the second half.

"Obviously, we want to be 100 percent down there in the red zone," Manning said. "The more times you get down, there are going to be more times when you don't score.

"The field always tightens up down there. Houston plays a lot of pass coverage down there. That's why we always say the runs are probably our best plays down there."