 has won three straight in the series and took over the early season lead in the AFC South. The loss snapped Houston's two-game winning streak. Brissett was masterful most of the day. He was 26 of 39 with 326 yards, and in a game the Colts only produced 62 yards rushing, they needed Brissett to be at his best - and he was. ''It just says he's legit, he's the man,'' coach Frank Reich said of Brissett. ''We believed that from Day One and we've never wavered in our conviction in our faith in Jacoby. But he knows he's still got to prove it. He's still got to make plays to win this game and he did that today. '' Brissett opened the scoring with an 11-yard TD pass to Zach Pascal on Indy's first series. The Texans (4-3) answered with two field goals, the second coming after Deshaun Watson appeared to find DeAndre Hopkins for a touchdown pass with Justin Houston draped around Watson's legs. But the officials ruled Watson was in the grasp, nullifying the subsequent throw. ''I'm not going to answer any officiating questions,'' Texans coach Bill O'Brien said twice after the Texans were called for 10 penalties. Brissett, who set up the Texans' second score with a fumble deep in Colts territory, then threw a nifty 2-yard TD pass to T. Y. Hilton with 1:49 left in the half. That gave Houston just enough time to drive for another short field goal to make it 14-9. But, Indy re-established the two-score lead when a replay review reversed the call on the field of an incomplete pass to give Brissett a 4-yard TD toss to Eric Ebron. Houston finally got in the end zone when Keke Coutee scored on a 4-yard run that caught the Colts off guard. But Brissett took advantage of three defensive penalties on the series before capitalizing with a 3-yard TD pass to Pascal that made it 28-16 with 1:14 left in the third quarter. Watson gave the Texans one more chance with an 8-yard TD pass to Hopkins with 6:38 left. Texans punter Brian Anger stepped out of the end zone for a safety with less than three minutes remaining before the Colts closed it out with Leonard's interception in the final seconds. Watson was 23 of 34 with 308 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Hopkins had nine receptions for 106 yards and Kenny Stills caught four passes for 105 yards. Pascal had six catches for 106 yards, while Hilton had six catches for 74 yards. STAT SHEETTexans: Houston's streak of consecutive games without allowing a sack ended at two. . . . The defending division champs have lost only two of their last seven regular-season games against AFC South foes - both to Indy. Colts: Marlon Mack rushed 18 times for 44 yards. . . . Indy has scored at least 23 points in 11 consecutive home games. . . . The Colts defense has not allowed a 100-yard runner in 24 straight games. . . . The Colts failed on their only fourth-down attempt of the game, ending their perfect streak at seven. INJURY REPORTTexans: CB Phillip Gaines was carted off the field with what appeared to be a lower leg injury with 1:49 to go. . . . WR Will Fuller left during Houston's first series with a hamstring injury and did not return. . . . S Tashaun Gipson injured his back late in the first quarter. Colts: DT Carl Davis did not return after injuring his hamstring in the second half. UP NEXTTexans: Return home next Sunday to host Oakland on the final leg of the Raiders extended road trip. Colts: Will host Denver next Sunday. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL)
Oct 17, 2019INDIANOLIS Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich prefers taking the aggressive approach. His coaching staff understands it. His players respect it. And opponents know they must be prepared to confront it. Sometimes, the fourth-down gambles pay off - as they did earlier this season at Tennessee and Kansas City. Sometimes, they backfire. Either way, though, Reich acknowledges he's willing to take the same risky call against Houston on Sunday as he did in last year's home overtime loss to the Texans. ''Those decisions always come down to what's best for the team in the moment,'' Reich said. ''A lot of things go into those decisions, but primarily like you said, it's a belief in the players. Yes, we think situationally it calls for it, but it really stems from a belief that we'll get it done. '' Nobody has been better playing the odds this season than Reich. Indy has converted all seven fourth-down attempts, the gutsiest call coming from its 35-yard line with less than 2 1/2 minutes to go in a two-point game at Tennessee. And when things don't go right, such as the incompletion on fourth-and-4 from the Indy 43 with 24 seconds left in overtime against Houston, Reich still seems to hit the jackpot. While the Colts lost that game, he won over the locker room with a season-changing moment. Indy has won 13 of its 19 games since then including twice at Houston late last season. ''Frank made the call he felt was best for his team and that's in my opinion what Frank does well,'' coach Bill O'Brien said after the Texans converted a key fourth down at Kansas City last week. ''He's an aggressive coach. You know sometimes you have to do in your mind what's best for your team from your preparation and where you are in the game. Those are things that Frank does very well. '' It keeps everyone on their toes - and the bye week may only give Reich more time to contemplate how to play it Sunday. ''I think that mentality is what carries beyond that one play,'' he said. ''I think that's an example of what happened last year. Yeah, that was one play, but it was the belief and conviction in our players I think that carries longer than the one play. '' CATCHING ONFour-time Pro Bowler T. Y. Hilton has thrived against the Texans over the years. In 15 games, the Colts receiver has 78 receptions, 1,506 yards and nine touchdowns. Late last season, with an ankle injury, he still managed to haul in 11 catches for 260 yards in the games at Houston. The Texans know just tough Hilton can be. ''He's fast, great route runner, can come in and out of his breaks, understands how to attack leverage, has great experience,'' O'Brien said. ''He's seen all of the coverages there are, so he knows how to get open. He's got good chemistry with Jacoby and I think he's targeted quite a bit. It's a challenge. '' HOLDING THE LINEThe Colts went from worst in sacks allowed in 2017 to first last season. Now Houston is trying to follow a similar blueprint. While Jacoby Brissett has gone down just six times, tied for the second fewest in the league, the Texans have made a dramatic turnaround after giving up 18 sacks during the first four weeks. Neither Brissett nor Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson have been sacked in their past two games. ''They're doing a heck of a job of playing as a unit,'' Watson said. ''Everyone is up there with the right mindset, positive attitude and always playing the next play. So, those guys up there have been doing a heck of a job. '' The Colts, meanwhile, have only allowed one sack in their past five October games. SEEKING HYDERunning back Carlos Hyde fit exactly what the Texans wanted when they acquired him from Kansas City on Aug. 31 - after losing Lamar Miller to a season-ending knee injury. Hyde has been the key to the league's No. 5 rushing attack (139. 8 yards) and ran for a season-high 116 yards and one touchdown last weekend. He's 10th in the NFL with 426 yards rushing and has three touchdowns this season. HOME, SWEET, HOMEAfter Indy won 13 straight home games to open the series, Houston has taken three of past four at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts' lone victory during this current run came in the 2017 season finale, with Brissett closing out the season as the starter. Indy also had a seven-game home winning streak snapped by Oakland on Sept. 29. --- Sports Writer Kristie Rieken in Houston also contributed to this report. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
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