Colts hold on to beat Texans, end losing streak
HOUSTON -- Jacoby Brissett and T.Y. Hilton connected on a pair of long scoring strikes as the Indianapolis Colts snapped a three-game losing skid with a 20-14 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday at NRG Stadium.
The Colts (3-6) held on late, with linebacker Jabaal Sheard recording a sack and forced fumble on Texans quarterback Tom Savage on the final play from the Colts 7-yard line with seven seconds left.
Savage had completed his first career touchdown pass earlier in the fourth quarter, a 34-yard strike to DeAndre Hopkins with 6:11 left, before engineering another drive that nearly enabled Houston (3-5) to extend its series winning streak to four games.
Savage, starting in place of injured Deshaun Watson, finished 19 of 44 for 219 yards and one touchdown.
Brissett completed 20 of 30 attempts for 308 yards in leading an offense that performed in fits and spurts. He teamed with Hilton on a 45-yard touchdown pass on the Colts' opening possession for a 7-0 lead at the 8:33 mark of the first quarter. From there, a long drought ensued, with kicker Adam Vinatieri adding a 22-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead in the second quarter.
The Brissett-Hilton tandem struck again in the third quarter, with Hilton taking a short slant pass 80 yards for a score. Hilton went to the turf on his run deep in Texans territory but was not touched by a defender, prompting him to leap to his feet and complete his jaunt into the end zone for a 17-7 lead with 1:56 left in the third. Hilton finished with five catches and 175 yards.
The Texans' lone score prior to the intermission came defensively, with strong safety Eddie Pleasant delivering a jarring blow on Brissett that dislodged the football for linebacker Lamarr Houston, who returned the fumble 34 yards for a touchdown with 4:34 left in the first half.
NOTES: Texans rookie LT Julien Davenport made his second start of the season and first since Week 2 at Cincinnati. Houston traded veteran LT Duane Brown to Seattle last week. Chris Clark replaced Davenport at halftime after Davenport allowed a sack of QB Tom Savage in the second quarter. ... After totaling just 61 receiving yards in his three previous games combined, Colts WR T.Y. Hilton exceeded that total in the first half and finished with five catches for 175 yards and two scores. ... With his PAT in the first quarter, Colts K Adam Vinatieri surpassed Gary Anderson (2,434) for second in career points. Vinatieri (2,442) now trails only Morten Andersen (2,544). ... Texans TE Ryan Griffin was lost to a concussion in the first half and did not return.