Skip navigation
Site powered by
Latest news:
msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines: 9 die in Kosovo avalanche; child survives

Texans unable to overcome injuries, Colts

Addai rushes for two TDs against ‘pretty beat up’ Houston in 30-24 win

Image: Joseph Addai, Demarcus FagginsAP
Colts running back Joseph Addai leaps over Texans cornerback Demarcus Faggins for a four-yard touchdown run during the second quarter.

HOUSTON - The Indianapolis Colts lost all three AFC South road games last season.

So winning two straight this year is encouraging, even if they didn’t play as well as they’d like on Sunday.

Joseph Addai ran for two touchdowns and Adam Vinatieri added three field goals to lead the Colts (3-0) to a 30-24 win over the injury-ravaged and mistake-prone Texans to remain undefeated after beating Tennessee last week.

“As long as we’re getting the wins, we can still correct that kind of stuff,” receiver Dallas Clark said. “We’ll take advantage of it down the road. That shows you what kind of team we have here. We haven’t played great — it’s always been something here and there — but we’re still finding ways to win.”

Houston (2-1) entered the game without star receiver Andre Johnson, who sprained his knee last week, and lost running back Ahman Green to a knee injury on the first series of the second quarter. Backup Ron Dayne was inactive because of bruised ribs, so the Texans had to rely on third-stringer Samkon Gado for the rest of the game.

Rookie Jacoby Jones, who started for Johnson, left in the third quarter with a separated shoulder, and center Steve McKinney left with a knee sprain in the fourth quarter.

And defensive tackle Cedric Killings was taken off the field on a stretcher after a headfirst collision with Indianapolis receiver Roy Hall. The 310-pound Killings, playing special teams, hit Hall on a block as Jerome Mathis was returning a kickoff in the second quarter. The Texans said Killings suffered a neck injury and coach Gary Kubiak said he was moving his arms and legs and talking on the field. Killings was taken to a hospital.

Free video
Undefeated in AFC
Sept. 23: 'The Football Night in America' cast discusses the Pats, Colts and Steelers.
“It was a tremendous effort on everybody’s part and we paid the price for it,” Kubiak said. “We’re pretty beat up.”

Still, Houston got within 30-24 when Vonta Leach caught a 1-yard pass from Matt Schaub with 2:49 remaining in the game. The Texans got the ball back with 19 seconds left, but Schaub was sacked and time ran out.

“They played most of the game without their two best backs and then their best receiver, and they continued to fight back,” said Colts coach Tony Dungy. “We just couldn’t get that right play to knock them out of things. But we made enough plays when we needed them.”

  NFL Sunday games roundup

Patriots' pursuit of perfection isn't only great playoff storyline

Houston cut the lead to 27-17 on a 1-yard run by Gado early in the fourth quarter. That score was set up by a 41-yard catch by Andre’ Davis. Vinatieri’s third field goal of the day had pushed the Colts’ lead to 30-17 in the third period.

“We marched down there and we got some scores,” Dungy said. “In the end, that was the difference. We want to come away with points. We prefer to come away with touchdowns. We did score every time we got down there. We had chances for touchdowns. We’ll get sharper and we’ll be fine.”

Schaub was 27-of-33 for 236 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Houston finished with just 40 yards rushing and Gado had 12 yards rushing and a fumble.

Cornerback Dunta Robinson said he was proud of how the team didn’t give up after getting down by 13 points in the fourth quarter.


advertisement
More news
Image: Gerald Sensabaugh, Terence Newman, Mike Jenkins, DeSean Jackson
AP
Offseason needs for NFC teams

Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.

Image: Wild Card Playoffs - Pittsburgh Steelers v Denver Broncos
Getty Images
Wesseling: Offseason priorities for AFC teams

Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.

Free video
Indianapolis holds off Houston
Sept. 23: NBC Sports' Marty Snider reports on the Colts' 30-24 win over the Texans.
Slideshow
Image: Super Bowl XLVI
  Super Bowl XLVI shots
See the best moments before, during and after the Giants' win over the Patriots

more photos

Slideshow
Image:
  Sideline support
Check out some of the NFL cheerleaders from across the league.

NBCSports.com

  NFL games to watch

Cowboys-Packers, Pats-Steelers just a few ’07 schedule highlights

Green Bay Packers v Minnesota Viki
Getty Images