In a game that featured both teams playing their backup quarterbacks for a majority of the contests, the Texans fell, 27-20, to Indianapolis. Matt Hasselbeck started for Andrew Luck while Brian Hoyer entered the game for Ryan Mallett in the second quarter.
In the Texans first AFC South contest of the season, rookie receiver Jaelen Strong snared a pair of touchdowns on his first two career NFL catches.
The Texans put up 444 yards of total offense but also committed 13 penalties for 125 yards. Six of the Colts' 22 first downs came as a result of Houston penalties.
Mallett started the Thursday night matchup, but Hoyer finished the game. Hoyer entered when Mallett was shaken up on a hit that resulted in a roughing penalty on the Colts.
Hoyer was 24-of-31 for 312 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 116.6. Running back Arian Foster rushed for 41 yards on 19 carries. DeAndre Hopkins had his third-straight 100-yard game, catching 11 passes for 169 yards.
Mallett was 7-of-10 for 50 yards and one interception. On the Texans opening drive, Mallett moved the offense 61 yards in 14 plays, but his pass to Foster was intercepted in the red zone. Indianapolis capitalized, scoring first on a 48-yard field goal by Adam Viniateri.
Andre Johnson's return to NRG Stadium was punctuated by two touchdown catches as a Colt. He caught his first one in the first quarter, a four-yard pass from Hasselbeck, to extend the Colts' lead to 10.
Hoyer entered the game 6:49 left in the second quarter and promptly led the Texans on two consecutive scoring drives. Nick Novak kicked his first field goal as a Texan, a 36-yard attempt, to get Houston on the board.
As time expired in the half, Hoyer's 42-yard Hail Mary pass was caught by Strong. It was his first career NFL catch and it capped off a 9-play, 95-yard scoring drive. The Texans headed into the locker room down just 13-10.
But on the Colts' first possession after the break, Frank Gore ran 3 yards for a score as the Colts took a 20-10 lead.
Both Strong and Johnson added their second touchdown catches of the night in the second half. The Houston rookie caught an 11-yard pass all alone in the left corner of the end zone in the third quarter to end a 10-play, 90-yard drive. Johnson, meanwhile, scored early in the fourth quarter on a two-yard touchdown pass.
Hoyer threw his first interception on his final pass of the night. It occurred at the two-minute warning on third-and-2.
The Texans fell to 1-4 on the season. Houston will head to Florida for their next two games against Jacksonville and Miami in Weeks 6 and 7.
