The end of the first-half interception was a major turning point in what ended up being another loss to the Texans for the Indianapolis Colts.
With only 1:00 left in the second quarter and the score tied at 10-10, beginning with the ball at their own five-yard line, the Colts handed it off to Jonathan Taylor for a seven-yard gain.
With 39 seconds left at this point, Richardson threw a quick pass to Michael Pittman that ended up incomplete.
Now facing a 3rd-and-3 from their own 12 yard line and with only 23 seconds left, Richardson again dropped back, but this time the pass didn’t fall incomplete and was picked off by Jalen Pitre who jumped the route.
From the Indianapolis seven-yard line, it took the Texans only one play to score a touchdown, giving them the 17-10 lead.
Despite a rough offensive performance in the first half, particularly in the passing game, the Colts were in a position to go into halftime tied with the Texans and begin the third with the football, potentially able to take the lead at that point.
However, because of the interception, the Colts went into halftime trailing by a touchdown. After a punt on their first possession of the second-half, Houston would then kick a field goal, and just like that, the Texans had a two score lead.
The Colts made it close at the end, as they often do, but ultimately that 10 point deficit was too much to overcome.
“Right there, we’re trying to go score at the end of the half, is what it is,” Shane Steichen said after the game via the Indy Star. “We’re trying to go score, just like we did the week before when we threw a chunk play and got it.”
After falling behind 10-0 to Miami in Week 7, and getting the ball back with only 22 seconds left in the second half, a 37 yard completion to Michael Pittman put the Colts in field goal range. So instead of being down by two scores going into half, Indianapolis trailed 3-10.
The Dolphins then began with the ball in the second half of that game and were forced to punt. That sequence also proved to be a pivotal point in the game. With it looking like the Colts could end up being down by three scores early in the third quarter, they only trailed by a touchdown.
That, to some degree, was what Steichen was trying to replicate against Houston. However, it backfired greatly, and the pendulum swung in the other direction.
“That was the decision that was made,” Steichen said. “I know it’s a results-driven league, and it didn’t work out.”
