Peyton Manning spent one half deciphering the Houston defense.
He spent the final two quarters cutting it up.
The two-time league MVP led Indianapolis on four straight scoring drives in the
second half, wiping out two Houston leads and giving the Colts a badly needed
33-27 victory Sunday.
Indy (6-4) won its third straight, a season-best, as it stayed near the top of
the muddled mass battling for the AFC’s two wild-card spots.
For Manning, it seemed like old times. He took advantage of every opportunity,
finished 30-of-46 for 320 yards with two touchdowns and magnificently mixed the
run and pass in the second half when Houston (3-7) couldn’t keep up with the
Colts.
The script looked familiar, too.
Joseph Addai ran for 105 yards and one TD, his first 100-yard day since November
2007. Marvin Harrison caught nine passes for 77 yards and another score and Indy
produced a season-high 474 yards in offense...
Video Recap: Payton Manning led the Colts on four straight scoring drives in the second half, wiping out two Texans' leads and giving the Colts a 33-27 victory Sunday. Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker have the recap.
Ahman Green rushed to the left for 1 yard gain (Kris
Brown made PAT)
13 - 6
0:05
IND
FG
Adam Vinatieri kicked a 32-yard field goal
13 - 9
3rd Quarter
11:08
IND
TD
Peyton Manning passed to Joseph Addai to the right for
23 yard gain (Adam Vinatieri made PAT)
13 - 16
9:30
HOU
TD
Steve Slaton rushed to the right for 71 yard gain (Kris
Brown made PAT)
20 - 16
6:14
IND
TD
Joseph Addai rushed up the middle for 7 yard gain (Adam
Vinatieri made PAT)
20 - 23
4th Quarter
14:56
IND
TD
Peyton Manning passed to Marvin Harrison to the right
for 10 yard gain (Adam Vinatieri made PAT)
20 - 30
8:54
HOU
TD
Ahman Green rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain (Kris
Brown made PAT)
27 - 30
1:52
IND
FG
Adam Vinatieri kicked a 31-yard field goal
27 - 33
Team Statistics
HOU
IND
First Downs
15
30
Passing
7
21
Rushing
8
8
Penalty
0
1
Third Down Efficiency
3-8
10-15
Fourth Down Efficiency
0-0
0-0
TOTAL NET YARDS
356
474
Total Plays
45
80
Average Gain Per Play
7.9
5.9
NET YARDS RUSHING
177
154
Rushes
25
34
Average Per Rush
7.1
4.5
NET YARDS PASSING
179
320
Completions-Attempts
13-18
30-46
Yards Per Pass Play
9.0
7.0
Times Sacked
2
0
Yards Lost to Sacks
13
0
Had Intercepted
1
0
PUNTS
2
1
Average Punt
47.5
55.0
PENALTIES
3
6
Penalty Yards
23
45
FUMBLES
1
0
Fumbles Lost
0
0
TIME OF POSSESSION
25:45
34:15
Pregame Previews, Storylines,
and News
New Page 1
Preview:
Considering the dominant
run the Indianapolis Colts have
had atop the AFC South in recent
years, their current position is
likely an unfamiliar one.
Looking to chip away at their
four-game deficit in the
division, the Colts on Sunday
aim for their third straight
victory while improving to 13-1
all time against the struggling
Houston Texans. Indianapolis
(5-4) has posted a 25-8 record
en route to winning the division
each of the last five seasons...more
Prediction: Just
because the Colts have won back-to-back games doesn't mean they
have turned around their season. But, because they beat the
Patriots and Steelers, it might be a good indication. Indy's
defense has also picked it up after the return of all-world safety Bob Sanders. Look for Indy to win
big against Houston who isn't a
good road team at all. That close game was a while back, do not
let that early game fool you. Colts 31 - Texans 10
Video Preview: Looking to
climb back into the division race, the Colts aim for their third straight
victory against the struggling Houston Texans. Take a look inside this matchup.
Matchups: Texans at Colts
SportingNews.com
The Colts are allowing 5.1 fantasy points per game to
tight ends, which ranks 24th in the league. Nonetheless, Daniels is good enough
to put up big numbers ...
Slow starts put Texans in bind
Houston Chronicle
8.6
13.5