Final
Colts remain perfect, win AFC South
Nov 30, 2009 - 3:57 AM By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports WriterHOUSTON(AP) -- The AFC South champion Indianapolis Colts have perfected the art of the comeback in their undefeated march into the playoffs.
Peyton Manning threw for three touchdowns and the Colts rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit Sunday for a 35-27 win over the Texans, their 20th straight regular-season victory. Indianapolis (11-0) is one win shy of the New England Patriots' NFL-record 21-game run from 2006-08. The Colts can tie the record if they beat Tennessee at home next weekend.
The Colts improved to 15-1 against Houston (5-6) in their fifth straight come-from-behind win. They became the first team to secure a playoff berth and gained the AFC South title Sunday evening when San Francisco beat Jacksonville 20-3.
"That's our goal coming into training camp," safety Antoine Bethea said. "We wanted to win our division."
Manning and the Colts kept their cool after falling behind in the first half.
"We don't get overexcited certainly when things aren't going the way we want them to," Manning said. "We don't panic, we don't yell, we don't throw helmets. We just try to put the series behind us and move on to the next one. There was a lot of that (Sunday)."
Manning threw two first-half interceptions, but had a pair of second-half TD passes, including a 4-yarder to Dallas Clark that gave the Colts a 21-20 lead with about nine minutes left.
Clint Session stretched the lead to 28-20 when he returned an interception by Matt Schaub 26 yards for a touchdown seconds later.
"That's a good team over there, but we're the Colts," Session said. "We do things the right way and we try to get every win we can get."
Schaub fumbled on Houston's next possession and Chad Simpson's touchdown run put the game out of reach.
"If you doubt, you're done," Reggie Wayne said. "It's just like showing a bad poker face. If they see that, you're in trouble. Guys just stick with it. We knew the defense was going to pick it up. We know we have to take care of the offense and get some drives going."
Houston, which has lost three straight, was all but unstoppable in the first half, and the Texans scored on their first four possessions. It was a different story after halftime, with the Texans unable to get anything going offensively until Schaub hit Jacoby Jones for a touchdown with 18 seconds remaining.
"This isn't the first time this has happened to us," Andre Johnson said. "It's just real frustrating. I'm very upset with myself. It's kind of sounding like a broken record, we've just got to find a way to play for four quarters."
The Colts' first lead came on Manning's touchdown pass to Clark. In what was a theme Sunday, the drive was helped by a 17-yard pass interference penalty on Houston.
Matt Stover's missed a 32-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to keep Houston's lead at 20-14.
In the third quarter, the Texans were called for pass interference on third-and-goal from the 8-yard line, giving the Colts a first down at the 1. Wayne caught a touchdown pass three plays later to make it 20-14.
Houston's Jacques Reeves got a 43-yard pass interference penalty on the third play of that drive.
"You can't play a half against this football team," Houston cornerback Dunta Robinson said. "We knew coming out of halftime that this game was far from over. ... (Manning) is great. He's going to find a way to not get sacked and he's going to find a way to make plays and that's what he did."
Manning finished 27 of 35 for 244 yards. Schaub was 31 of 42 for 284 yards with two TDs and two interceptions.
The Colts' first score came when Manning found Pierre Garcon for a 9-yard touchdown about six minutes before halftime. That drive was helped by a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty on Antonio Smith for hitting Manning in the facemask.
Houston scored on its first possession for the first time this season when Schaub completed an 11-play, 79-yard drive with a 7-yard pass to Vonta Leach to make it 7-0. The Texans marched downfield again on the next drive and went up 14-0 on a 5-yard run by Chris Brown.
Manning was under heavy pressure when he threw an interception to Brian Cushing early in the second quarter. The Texans got to the Indianapolis 12 before Kris Brown's 35-yard field goal pushed the lead to 17-0. Brown also made a 33-yard field goal in the second quarter.
"We've been really, really good and then poor in some situations, so it's my job to find some consistency," Houston coach Gary Kubiak said.
NOTES: The Colts were without star defensive end Dwight Freeney, out with an abdomen injury. ... Chris Brown and Steve Slaton combined for 113 yards rushing for Houston.
- NFL
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
INDIANAPOLIS 0 7 7 21 35
HOUSTON 14 6 0 7 27 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: HST - TD, VONTA LEACH 7 YD PASS FROM
MATT SCHAUB (KRIS BROWN
KICK), 6:35. HOUSTON 7-0
HST - TD, CHRIS BROWN 5 YD RUN (KRIS
BROWN KICK), 12:50. HOUSTON
14-0
2ND QUARTER: HST - F
Nov 29 3:58 PM - NFL
INDIANAPOLIS 35
HOUSTON 27 0:00 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Nov 29 3:58 PM
TD HST JACOBY JONES 10 YD PASS FROM MATT SCHAUB (KRIS BROWN KICK)
Colts 35, Texans 27 4th - 0:18Nov 29 3:55 PM
TD HST JACOBY JONES 10 YD PASS FROM MATT SCHAUB (KRIS BROWN KICK)
Colts 35, Texans 27 4th - 0:18Nov 29 3:55 PM
TD HST JACOBY JONES 10 YD PASS FROM MATT SCHAUB (KRIS BROWN KICK)
Colts 35, Texans 27 4th - 0:18Nov 29 3:55 PM
TD IND CLINT SESSION 27 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (MATT STOVER KICK)
Colts 28, Texans 20 4th - 8:09Nov 29 3:33 PM
TD IND CLINT SESSION 27 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (MATT STOVER KICK)
Colts 28, Texans 20 4th - 8:09Nov 29 3:33 PM
TD IND DALLAS CLARK 6 YD PASS FROM PEYTON MANNING (MATT STOVER KICK)
Colts 21, Texans 20 4th - 8:24Nov 29 3:29 PM
TD IND DALLAS CLARK 6 YD PASS FROM PEYTON MANNING (MATT STOVER KICK)
Colts 21, Texans 20 4th - 8:24Nov 29 3:29 PM
TD IND DALLAS CLARK 6 YD PASS FROM PEYTON MANNING (MATT STOVER KICK)
Colts 21, Texans 20 4th - 8:24Nov 29 3:29 PM- NFL
INDIANAPOLIS 14
HOUSTON 20 0:00 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Nov 29 3:09 PM
TD IND REGGIE WAYNE 4 YD PASS FROM PEYTON MANNING (MATT STOVER KICK)
Colts 14, Texans 20 3rd - 11:20Nov 29 2:42 PM
TD IND REGGIE WAYNE 4 YD PASS FROM PEYTON MANNING (MATT STOVER KICK)
Colts 14, Texans 20 3rd - 11:20Nov 29 2:42 PM
TD IND REGGIE WAYNE 4 YD PASS FROM PEYTON MANNING (MATT STOVER KICK)
Colts 14, Texans 20 3rd - 11:20Nov 29 2:42 PM- NFL
INDIANAPOLIS 7
HOUSTON 20 0:00 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Nov 29 2:26 PM
TD IND PIERRE GARCON 9 YD PASS FROM PEYTON MANNING (MATT STOVER KICK)
Colts 7, Texans 17 2nd - 5:46Nov 29 1:59 PM
TD IND PIERRE GARCON 9 YD PASS FROM PEYTON MANNING (MATT STOVER KICK)
Colts 7, Texans 17 2nd - 5:46Nov 29 1:59 PM
TD IND PIERRE GARCON 9 YD PASS FROM PEYTON MANNING (MATT STOVER KICK)
Colts 7, Texans 17 2nd - 5:46Nov 29 1:59 PM- NFL
INDIANAPOLIS 0
HOUSTON 14 0:00 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Nov 29 1:33 PM
TD HST VONTA LEACH 7 YD PASS FROM MATT SCHAUB (KRIS BROWN KICK)
Colts 0, Texans 7 1st - 8:25Nov 29 1:10 PM
TD HST VONTA LEACH 7 YD PASS FROM MATT SCHAUB (KRIS BROWN KICK)
Colts 0, Texans 7 1st - 8:25Nov 29 1:10 PM
TD HST VONTA LEACH 7 YD PASS FROM MATT SCHAUB (KRIS BROWN KICK)
Colts 0, Texans 7 1st - 8:25Nov 29 1:10 PM
Related News
- NFL Draft Is Deepest in Years Feb 29
- Why C.J. Stroud is Houston’s clear cut MVP Dec 26
- Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. can’t trash talk Dec 26
- Week 16 Colts’ QB Analysis: There is no Santa Claus. Dec 25
- If the Colts had to lose, they picked a great week to do it. Dec 25
- Christmas’ Day Football picks and predictions Dec 25
- Monday Morning Awards: Week 16 @Falcons Dec 25
- Monday Night Football Open Thread Dec 25
- Houston Texans open as favorites at home against Titans in Week 17 Dec 25
- Colts-Raiders odds: Colts open as 3-point favorites Dec 25
- Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Battle Red Blog Dec 25
- Sunday Night Football Open Thread: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos Dec 24