Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Colts edge Texans 19-17 on late kick, snap nine-game skid
Spencer Shrader’s fourth field goal, with 16 seconds left, lifted Indianapolis past Houston after Daniel Jones found Laquon Treadwell for a crucial 20-yard completion on the final drive.
Indianapolis beat Houston 19-17 on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, with Spencer Shrader making his fourth field goal of the game with 16 seconds remaining. The win ended a nine-game Colts losing streak and left the Texans at 0-3.
The decisive drive turned on Daniel Jones’ 20-yard completion to Laquon Treadwell with 1:43 left, which moved Indianapolis into scoring range.
The final drive came down to two plays
Houston had taken a late lead, but Indianapolis still had time to answer. With 1:43 remaining, Jones completed a 20-yard pass to Treadwell that moved the Colts into scoring position.
Shrader then delivered the winning field goal with 16 seconds left. He finished four-for-four on field goals, supplying 12 of Indianapolis’ 19 points with those kicks.
Indianapolis won despite costly turnovers
Jones completed 24 of 36 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown, but he also lost two fumbles. Indianapolis still stayed close enough for Shrader, who made four field goals, to decide the game late.
The result gave the Colts their first win of the 2026 season and ended a nine-game losing streak that carried over from the previous year.
Houston’s 0-3 start gets harder to ignore
Stroud completed 16 of 27 passes for 167 yards and one touchdown, but Houston could not finish the road game after taking the late lead. The Texans dropped to 0-3.
Battle Red Blog and the Houston Chronicle separately described the defeat as another close loss decided by the final fourth-quarter sequence, while Indianapolis finally converted a late possession into a win.
