The Houston Texans of a magnificent CJ Stroud qualified this Saturday for the NFL Playoffs after beating the Colts 19-23, which leaves the Indianapolis team eliminated from the Postseason.
The Colts and Texans met tonight in a head-to-head duel in Week 18 with very simple accounts: the Playoff prize would go to the winner of the game and the elimination tile would go to the loser.
Finally, it was the Texans (10-7) who got their ticket to the Postseason, the icing on the cake for the first season of a Stroud who, in his rookie year, has been one of the great sensations of the NFL with a dazzling present and future in the league.
The Texans had been the worst team in the American Conference (AFC) in 2022 at 3-13-1 and had not reached the Postseason since 2019.
Under the command of debutant coach DeMeco Ryans, key to the success of this team, Houston also has the possibility of winning the AFC South. To do this, he needs the Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) to lose tomorrow to the Tennessee Titans.
Stroud’s arm did not tremble – it was also his first game in prime time – and he had a splendid performance with 264 yards (20 of 26) with two touchdown passes and suffered two sacks without interceptions. The quarterback starred in some dazzling moments and connected wonderfully with Nico Collins, who added 195 yards and a score.
Like the Texans, the Colts (9-8) also performed above expectations this season with a rookie coach (Shane Steichen), but were unable to finish the campaign with a pass to the Playoffs.
Gardner Minshew had 141 yards (13 of 24) with no touchdown passes or interceptions and suffered one sack. Most of Indianapolis’ offense came on the run, with 188 yards and a touchdown by Jonathan Taylor who finished the game with ankle discomfort.
Stroud decide
The Colts got off to a promising start by combining passing and running play in a very fluid first drive. However, the local attack got stuck 20 yards from the score and that possession ended in a field goal (3-0).
The start in Indianapolis had been very interesting, but it was nothing compared to the whirlwind that was the Texans.
On the first play of the night, Stroud left everyone speechless with a spectacular 75-yard touchdown pass from Collins. With that marvel as a presentation, Stroud silenced the fiery atmosphere of Lucas Oil Stadium in the blink of an eye and left the Colts shocked, who seemed to feel the blow.
They especially noticed it in attack, very thick and short of ideas throughout the first half, in which they would only add one more field goal just before the break.
By then, the Texans had already scored their second score, this time courtesy of Andrew Beck, after a drive in which Stroud combined both the run of Devin Singletary and the explosive outbursts of Collins (6-14 at halftime).
The Colts’ reaction after the restart, after such a complicated first half in which the Texans were clearly superior, was admirable.
First his defense stepped on the accelerator, which finally got Stroud into trouble; and then the attack joined in, betting one hundred percent on the race.
There Taylor came in like a tank, absolutely overwhelming and scored a touchdown after a 49-yard run. With momentum in their favor, Indianapolis looked for the two-point conversion and achieved it with Mo Alie-Cox. Only five minutes had passed in the third quarter and the Colts had already tied the score (14-14).
They were able to complete the comeback shortly after, but Matt Gay missed a 57-yard field goal. Instead, the Texans got some oxygen with a 51-yard field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn that allowed them to go into the fourth quarter ahead (14-17).
Gay did get it right at the beginning of the fourth quarter to leave the match tied again (17-17), but then, after a very discreet third quarter, Stroud woke up.
The QB gave a performance on that drive, managing time perfectly, reading the opposing defense wonderfully and finding Collins time and time again, especially with two amazing passes.
Singletary crowned that Stroud gem on the ground (12 plays and 73 yards in just over 7 minutes), but Fairbairn chose the worst moment to miss his first extra point of the year (17-23).
Taylor continued to have discomfort in his heel but the Colts insisted on the race, gaining yards with a lot of suffering. But on a decisive fourth and one in the red zone and with just a minute left, Minshew passed to Tyler Goodson and the ball slipped through his hands.
With all the Indianapolis fans lamenting that tragic miss, the Texans gave away a safety and closed out a fabulous victory.
NFL Week 18 Results:
Sábado 06.01: Ravens 10-17 Steelers, Colts 19-23 Texans.
Domingo 07.01: Titans-Jaguars, Lions-Vikings, Saints-Falcons, Patriots-Jets, Panthers-Buccaneers, Bengals-Browns, Packers-Bears, Commanders-Cowboys, Raiders-Broncos, Giants-Eagles, Cardinals-Seahawks, 49ers-Rams, Chargers-Chiefs y Dolphins-Bills.
2024-01-07 03:21:32
#Texans #beat #Colts #seal #ticket #Playoffs
