Colts let the playoffs slip through their hands

The Colts had their opportunities on Saturday but couldn’t complete the mission.

The Indianapolis Colts fell to the Texans in a frustrating loss on Saturday and have been eliminated from the playoffs. The game was a “win and in”. For the Colts, that didn’t happen, although one could say it certainly could have.

The Colts started out fast with a strong opening drive but could only walk away with three. About ten seconds later, they found themselves down four after a 75 yard bomb from C.J. Stroud. After that, the game turned into a bit of a slugfest as neither team could do much with the ball. The Texans were able to score another touchdown on a blown coverage and create a 14-6 lead going into halftime.

The Colts responded nicely by forcing a punt and flying down the field with two huge plays; one being a 49 yard run by Jonathan Taylor. The Colts seemingly had all of the momentum until a missed 57 yard field goal gave the Texans excellent field position. Both teams traded three points, and the game was tied in the fourth. Unfortunately, this is where it all went wrong.

The Colts had the Texans in a 20 yard hole on the drive; once on first and another on a second down. Both times, the Texans escaped. Those proved to be back breakers as the Texans pushed the ball in for six. The extra point was missed, however, which allowed the Colts a glimmer of hope as they reached as far as Houston’s 16 yard line. From there, we all know what happened. A drop on fourth and one on a wide open pass ended the season for the Colts.

Yes, that is the big play, but it isn’t what truly cost the team. How about the opening play for the Texans? How about being unable to convert a single thrid down for the offense? How about that missed field goal? How about the blown coverage in the endzone to surrender six? Yada, yada, yada. Yes, the fourth down call is the big story, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. We can question the play or the personel, but it wasn’t the only reason the team lost.

The Colts have a lot to be proud of this year and some exciting players to build with. They will be back. This team will be too good to keep out of the playoffs much longer. When they do get back to this spot, believe they will be ready.