NFL AM: Texans Take Control Of The South

Other inactive players for the Colts were cornerbacks Greg Toler and D’Joun Smith, safety Colt Anderson, linebackers Bjoern Werner and Sio Moore, and guard Lance Louis.

Houston (7-7) won for the first time in three weeks, snapped a six-game skid in the series and improved to 1-13 all-time in Indy. Two of Grigson’s biggest acquisitions – running back Frank Gore and ex-Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson – continued disappointing campaigns by making little impact in the Colts’ biggest game of the season.

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.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck took another brutal beating.

Houston trimmed the Indianapolis lead to 10-6 with 2:42 remaining in the third quarter on Novak’s 46-yard field goal after the Colts were forced to punt from their own end zone.

After the opening drive for the Texans was picking up steam, T.J. Yates stared down DeAndre Hopkins and Vontae Davis was able to make a break on the play and came away with the interception.

The Colts also kept them in the game by failing to take advantage of turnovers and good field position in the first half.

“Very, very courageous guy”, Pagano said. “It’s not over till you decide it’s over. We’re not going down that road”.

For much of last week, we were unsure of who would start at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The worst part, though, might be Hasselbeck’s health.

Add a jaw injury to Hasselbeck’s growing list of physical ailments, but Colts generating season-low 190 total yards proves painful, too.

Pagano basically offered up a verbal shrug when asked after the game if Luck could play in Miami.

Indianapolis will likely play the Dolphins without the services of star quarterback Andrew Luck, who missed his seventh game of the season as he continues to recover from a lacerated kidney. He played today, but he was again beat up and was slow to get up a number of times.

Matt Hasselbeck played capably in his stead, winning his first four starts on the season and keeping the team in the divisional race.

Weeden was waived by Dallas in November and claimed by the Texans.

Could the Colts still rebound and win the AFC South. It’s not out of the question but they now will need some help. After the game, the Yates injury was preliminarily diagnosed as a torn ACL. He practiced last week for the first time since his injury and this has always been mentioned as a potential return date for the quarterback, but it’s far from certain at this point. He finished 11-of-18 for 105 yards, and was not intercepted, in just over a half of play. We stalled, and then we gave up a field goal to end the half. All of them – Brian Hoyer (the team’s starter who is out with a concussion), Yates and Weeden – have been released a few times.

Yates was 6 of 10 with 68 yards and one interception. Brandon Weeden came into the game and finished the drive with a field goal, sending the Texans to halftime down a score.