According to Indy Star Reporter
By:Phil Richards
Kris Brown’s 42-yard field goal attempt went wide, left, on the final play of the game Sunday and the Indianapolis Colts escaped Lucas Oil Stadium 20-17 winners over the Houston Texans.
Peyton Manning threw for more than 300 yards for the seventh time this season. He completed 34-of-50 passes for 318 yards and one touchdown with an interception and the Colts (8-0) dodged Brown’s late bullet.
The Colts’ 17th consecutive regular-season victory tied the third-longest streak in NFL history, the Chicago Bears of 1933-34. The team with the two longest streaks, New England, will visit Sunday night. The Patriots won 21 in a row, 2006-08, and 18 straight, 2003-04.
More important, the Colts (8-0) pushed their AFC South lead over Houston to 3 1/2 games. The teams will meet for the second time in a month on Nov. 29 in Houston.
Colts tight end Dallas Clark caught a career-high 14 passes for 119 yards.
The Colts went ahead by the final margin on a 2-yard run by Joseph Addai with 7:11 to play.
Linebacker Gary Brackett blitzed and hit quarterback Matt Schaub’s arm to force an interception by linebacker Clint Session with 2:13 to play, but Houston had one last shot that ended with the crowd on its feet and the football sailing wide of the left upright.
The Colts opened the game in their hurry-up offense and over the first 18 minutes they hurried into a 13-0 lead. At that point, they had 15 first downs to Houston’s zero and had outgained their guests 196-12 in total yards.
Houston threatened on its next possession but running back Ryan Moats fumbled into the Colts end zone from the 1 and the resulting touchback gave the Colts the football at the 20. The Colts drove to the Houston 22, where Manning threw an interception.
That set up Kris Brown’s 56-yard field goal on the last play of the half, and when the Texans scored on a 1-yard pass from Schaub to Moats on the opening series of the second half, the lead was pared to 13-10.
When running back Steve Slaton dove over the top from the 1 on the first play of the fourth quarter, Houston led 17-10.
