Posted December 22, 2011 on AP on Fox
Seattle_seahawks_v_7b9e
Arian Foster's 9-yard touchdown run in the opening minute helped the Houston Texans take a 10-6 lead over the Colts at halftime. Foster finished the first half with 76 yards on 10 carries. Dan Orlovsky completed 10 of 18 passes for 98 yards, Joseph Addai had 15 carries for 42 yards and Reggie Wayne caught five passes for 54 yards for Indianapolis. Things started badly for the Colts. On Indianapolis' first play from scrimmage, Houston's Brian Cushing sacked Orlovsky and forced him to fumble. Houston's Brooks Reed recovered at the Indianapolis 17. Two plays later, Foster's touchdown gave the Texans a 7-0 lead 54 seconds into the game. The Colts (1-13) went three-and-out on their next drive. Houston took over at its 38-yard line, but this time, the Colts caught the break. Robert Mathis sacked Houston quarterback T.J. Yates, forced a fumble and recovered it himself at the Houston 36-yard line. The Colts wasted the opportunity when Orlovsky was sacked by Connor Barwin at the Houston 40-yard line on third down. Houston (10-4) punted out of its end zone on its next possession, and Indy's Pierre Garcon returned it 20 yards to the Houston 27. Orlovsky's 12-yard completion to Austin Collie on third-and-8 set Indy up at the Houston 13. The drive stalled, and Adam Vinatieri's 23-yard field goal cut Houston's lead to 7-3. Houston ripped off huge chunks of yardage to start the next drive - a 29-yard pass from Yates to Kevin Walter and an 18-yard run by Foster - to move into Indianapolis territory. Eventually, the Colts' defense tightened up, and Neil Rackers made a 44-yard field goal to push Houston's lead to 10-3 with 2:01 left in the quarter. Indianapolis finally got its offense moving midway through the second quarter. Helped by a pass interference call and a defensive hold, the Colts pushed inside the Houston 20 before settling for a 32-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri that cut Houston's lead to 10-6. The Colts got one more chance inside of two minutes, but Vinatieri missed a 42-yard field goal with 4 seconds left in the first half. The Colts lead the series 16-3 and have never lost at home to the Texans, but Houston beat Indy 34-7 in the opener and has won two of the past three meetings. Indianapolis is coming off its first win of the season, a 27-13 win over Tennessee. Donald Brown ran for a career-high 161 yards that day, including a clinching 80-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The Colts dominated the AFC South for nearly a decade, but the Texans have already clinched the franchise's first home playoff game, dethroning a Colts team that won seven of the previous eight division crowns. The Texans have kept rolling despite losing starting quarterback Matt Schaub and backup Matt Leinart to season-ending injuries. Receiver Andre Johnson missed his ninth straight game with a strained left hamstring. -- Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cliffbruntap
THE BACKYARD
BEST OF MAXIM
AROUND THE WEB
RELATED ARTICLES

Foster TD helps Houston take 10-3 lead over Indy

Arian Foster's 9-yard touchdown run in the first minute helped the Houston Texans take a 10-3 lead over the Colts at the end of the first quarter.

The Odds-On Favorite: 2011 Week 16 Picks

Much thanks to Arian Foster for his stellar performance in the Thursday Night game for the Houston Texans.  If I wanted to have any chance of beating KWSN in the TVF fantasy league third-place consolation game, I needed Foster to have a huge game.  And he did just that. As for this week’s picks… let’s face it: you’re not reading this.  I’m probably typing this solely...

Foster TD helps Houston take 13-9 lead over Indy

Arian Foster has rushed for 138 yards and the game's only touchdown to help the Houston Texans lead the Colts 13-9 at the end of the third quarter on Thursday night.

Foster TD helps Houston take 13-9 lead over Indy

Arian Foster has rushed for 138 yards and the game's only touchdown to help the Houston Texans lead the Colts 13-9 at the end of the third quarter on Thursday night.

Foster TD helps Houston take 10-3 lead over Indy

Arian Foster's 9-yard touchdown run in the first minute helped the Houston Texans take a 10-3 lead over the Colts at the end of the first quarter.

Two In A Row?

Houston at Indianapolis Can the Colts actually win back-to-back games?  To put it simply…No.  Indy’s magical “Run to One” will come to an end tonight, when the 1-13 Colts host the playoff-bound Texans.  Arian Foster continues to show that he is one of the best backs in the NFL, and this matchup shouldn’t slow him down.  Houston comes in averaging over 150 rushing yards...

Foster TD helps Houston take 10-6 lead over Indy

Arian Foster's 9-yard touchdown run in the opening minute helped the Houston Texans take a 10-6 lead over the Colts at halftime.

NFL Week 16 Picks: Superdome Showdown

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts Two streaks–albeit short ones–will end Thursday night: The Texans losing streak and the Colts winning streak. And unlike the first meeting in Week 1, Arian Foster will be playing in this one. Texans: 31, Colts: 17   Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens The Ravens need a redemption game to prove their elite status after getting trounced in...

2 Guys Fantasy Spotlight: 2 Guys 2 Watch in Week 16

Evan’s Week 16 Spotlight The Guy I Like: Ben Tate, Houston Texans Ben Tate was supposed to be the primary ball-carrier for the 2010 Houston Texans team. Things did not go as planned however as Tate suffered a season-ending injury after just 2 preseason carries last season. After the the injury, the Houston Texans turned over the majority of their backfield duties to Arian Foster...
THE NFL HOT 40
Today's Best Stuff
For Bloggers

Join the Yardbarker Network for more promotion, traffic, and money.

Company Info
Help
What is Yardbarker?

Yardbarker is the largest network of sports blogs and pro athlete blogs on the web. This site is the hub of the Yardbarker Network, where our editors and algorithms curate the best sports content from our network and beyond.