Colts’ playoff hopes take beating with 16-10 loss to Texans

Houston quarterback T.J. Yates left the field and walked straight to the locker room late in the first half Sunday after apparently injuring his left knee at Indianapolis.

-With temperatures in the 40s, the roof and window are closed today at Lucas Oil Stadium. Each was painful to watch.

STILL HURTING: Despite Weeden’s solid game, Houston’s quarterback situation might have gotten worse.

Reserve cornerback A.J. Bouye intercepted Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck with 1:42 remaining, and cornerback Kareem Jackson recovered a fumble forced by Johnathan Joseph with 2:50 to play, sealing a 16-10 victory on Sunday. And then, in the fourth quarter, Clipboard Jesus came into the game after Matt Hasselbeck took a hard shot and was thrust to the ground.

Because he was the third string quarterback until last week when Hoyer was out, Weeden had nearly no experience working with Houston’s first-team offense. Another hit taken by Hasselbeck sent him to the sideline and Charlie Whitehurst into the game.

How’d you get back into the game? “I still don’t have any information to give you”, he said. We can add his jaw to a growing list that includes his ribs, back and neck.

Two floundering teams missing their starting quarterbacks will play in their biggest games of the year. “I told them to finish the race”. It was a tough day. “Better than two weeks ago, maybe a little better than last week”. The playoffs are in the crosshairs with two games to do.

“I got sick of hearing about (the losing streak)”. “We don’t know for sure until the MRI, but it doesn’t look good”. It finished with a season-low 190 total yards.

Houston Texans’ Jaelen Strong (11) dives into the end zone for a 8-yard touchdown reception during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, in Indianapolis.

Indy lost its third straight after Hasselbeck misread a deep route from Donte Moncrief and threw an interception on the first play of the Colts’ final series. “We started well, and our defense created great field position”. Moncrief had five receptions for 51 yards and the team’s lone touchdown.

Hasselbeck lamented the “woulda, coulda, shoulda kind of situations”. The training camp competition yielded Brian Hoyer nearly by default, and Ryan Mallett’s alarm clock cut short his time in Houston. The objective, he said, was to avoid turnovers.

“I think the most disappointing thing was we had opportunities”, Hasselbeck said.

“I thought as the game went on the communication got better”.

Via Mike Chappel of IndySportsCentral.com, Colts coach Chuck Pagano said Luck will not play this week at Miami.