Colts Slip By Texans To Keep Up Pace In Late-Season Playoff Push

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Two plays later, Rivers found Pascal, who stretched out for the pylon for his second receiving score of the day, this time from five yards out, to give the lead back to the Colts, 27-20, with 1:53 left in the fourth quarter.


"I really credit Nick (Sirianni) and the offensive staff. That's a play that we had put in, trying to get against the coverage that we ended up getting, and unfortunately, we were in a long-yard situation. It was just a gut feeling that we had to make a play and had to take a shot," Reich said of the deep pass play on 2nd and 20 to Hilton. "There was one thought to just try to get back in field goal range, but I really was just trusting Philip, trusting T.Y. — 'Hey, let's take the shot if it's there. Let's see if we can get the coverage we want and get T.Y. isolated like we wanted to and if it's there, let's take it and if not let's work underneath, try to get some yards and get back in field goal range if that's what we have to do."


But the Colts still had to fend off a red-hot Watson. Accordingly, the fourth-year Clemson product, looking to potentially send the game into overtime, marched the Texans right down the field.


On 2nd and 10 from the Houston 25, Watson scrambled for nine yards, and took a late hit out of bounds from cornerback Xavier Rhodes, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness, adding 15 yards to the end of the play. All of a sudden, the Texans were at midfield with plenty of time, 1:36, left.


Watson then completed his next three passes for a combined 31 yards to get to the Indianapolis 20. A sack by defensive tackle DeForest Buckner — his third of the day, all while playing on a bum ankle — set the Texans back to the 26, and then a false start penalty put Houston at the 31.


After getting a combined 16 yards back on the next two plays, both passes, the ballgame came down to this: 4th and 5 from the Indy 15-yard line. Watson, lined up in the shotgun, took the snap and had a quick three-step drop before delivering a pass to the middle of the field to Coutee, who made the catch just out of the reach of safety Khari Willis at the Indy 8.


Coutee turned around and had the end zone in his sights. Safety Julian Blackmon was unable to bring the receiver down around the 5-yard line, but he slowed him down just enough to allow Leonard to come charging in from behind and punch the ball out of his hand two yards shy of pay dirt. There was a mad scramble for the loose football, but ultimately it landed in Okereke's grasp for the touchback.


Another crazy finish — another Colts win.


"Every last series in practice we always talk about finish the practice because if you finish the practice, you finish the game," Leonard said. "I'll always say pressure does two things: bust pipes or make diamonds. I'm the type of guy that when it is time for pressure to be there, I want the pressure on me. I want to be the one to make the play and luckily today, I was in the right position to make the play."