HOUSTON -- A few thoughts on the Indianapolis Colts' 33-28 victory over the Houston Texans:
What it means: The Colts looked like they were on their way to a convincing victory over the Texans when they jumped out to a 24-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. But an illegal formation penalty by rookie Zach Kerr ended up leading to a touchdown for the Texans to wake them up. Receiver T.Y. Hilton's 33-yard touchdown late in the third quarter appeared to put Indianapolis in position to put the game away, but a bad snap exchange led to a fumble and was picked up by Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and taken in for a touchdown to make it a five-point game. The Texans had an opportunity to take the lead, but Colts cornerback Vontae Davis stripped the ball from receiver Andre Johnson and Mike Adams recovered it in Indianapolis territory. D'Qwell Jackson caused Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to bring the ball down and fumble on their last drive. Jackson recovered it.
Stock watch: The Colts’ ability to recover onside kicks continues to go up. Kicker Pat McAfee recovered his own onside kick in the first half when he followed the ball and waited for it to go 10 yards before recovering it. It’s the third time this season that the Colts have recovered an onside kick. They’re the only team in the NFL that has recovered an onside kick this season.
AFC South domination: The victory was the Colts' 10th straight against an AFC South opponent. They haven’t lost a game in the division since the Texans beat them 29-17 on Dec. 16, 2012. The Colts are now in sole possession of first place in the division and are in position to run the table in the AFC South for the second straight season.
Rough go at center: Undrafted rookie free agent Jonotthan Harrison started his second straight game at center. And for the second straight game, Harrison was involved in a bad snap. Whether it was a miscommunication issue between Harrison and Luck, the snap hit Luck right in the stomach before falling to the ground and being picked up by Watt. Colts coach Chuck Pagano replaced A.Q. Shipley, who started the first four games with limited mistakes, in favor of the inexperienced Harrison. Khaled Holmes, the projected starter all offseason, has been inactive through the first six games.
Game ball: This was an easy one. Hilton turned a career first quarter into a career game. The receiver finished with nine receptions for a regular-season career-high 223 yards and a touchdown.
What’s next: The Colts (4-2) return home to take on the Cincinnati Bengals at Lucas Oil Stadium on Oct. 19.
