Colts own Texans in Pagano's emotional return

The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts are off and running in the final game of this NFL season. There is a playoff-like atmosphere surrounding this game even though the implications are more crucial for the visitors as opposed to the home team.

The crowd in Lucas Oil Stadium gave Chuck Pagano a warm and rousing welcome when he entered the stadium. CBS announcer Greg Gumbel said, ”He shook the hand of every Lucas Oil Stadium employee on the way in.”

Keep your browser open to Bleacher Report for updates an equally rousing Week 17 game of the 2012 NFL season.

4:05 PM ET

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The clock is against Houston as Indianapolis is in the seventh play of a drive into Houston territory with five minutes to go. The Colts have been running the ball with relative ease right into the heart of the Texans' defense.

At the 2:00 minute warning, the Colts have held the ball for 12 plays for 6:59. Houston can do nothing as the Colts go into victory formation with no timeouts.

Vick Ballard carries the ball 10 times for 32 yards in this final drive. He looks exhausted by the of the game, but the Texans look completely demoralized as the meekly give away any hope to get the ball back.

Final score: Indianapolis Colts 28, Houston Texans 16.

3:48 PM ET

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Matt Schaub goes 3-4 on a five play drive that gets the Texans withing striking distance at the Colts 30. When he tries to turn it into six points, Vontae Davis picks it off. Davis has been all over the field with five solo tackles and three defensed passes.

Schaub's pass once again hangs in the air long enough for Davis to adjust before Johnson can.

3:41 PM ET

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Going into this drive, Greg Gumbel noted the Colts had one yard total offense in the second half. If there was any chance for Houston to regain the lead, it was presented to them when they had the Colts third-and-23 at the Indy 30.

But Quintin Demps, who was inactive in the Vikings game due to constantly getting torched, is burned again by T.Y. Hilton. His 70-yard touchdown compounds the humiliation.

Colts 28, Texans 16 at 11:31 mark of the fourth.

3:34 PM ET

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Houston starts off again with another penalty, this time on the punt by the Colts that is assessed on the start of their possession.

Nine plays gets the Texans to the Indy 35, but Graham misses from 52 yards. The Indianapolis pass rush is giving the Texans fits. For a team that 28 sacks going into this game, the sack by Lawrence Guy to end this possession is the fourth of the day for Indy.

3:23 PM ET

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The Texans start their comeback drive with a sack by Freeney over Duane Brown, followed by a false start penalty. The lose six yard in three plays, playing as if they are still stunned by Karim's return.

3:16 PM ET

Deji Karim
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Houston's lead lasts all of five seconds as Deji Karim returns kickoff 101 yards. Not one special teamer on the Texans touches him all the way to the end zone.

The Texans' special teams have been a thorn in their side, now surrendering their third scoring return on the year.

3:10 PM ET

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Houston ends seven play drive highlighted by 23-yard ramble by Arian Foster with another Graham FG. It looks as if the Texans may have solved the riddle of the Colts front seven with some consistent holes opening for Foster and giving time for Schaub to go through his laborious passing motion.

2:57 PM ET

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On the seventh play of the Texans' drive, Moise Fokou trips over Robert Mathis as Schaub escapes to make third down throw to Owen Daniels at Colts 30. Then Andre Johnson drops sure TD pass in end zone.

Houston is helped by holding penalty on Vontae Davis. Andre was double-covered but pulled out of bounds on his route. Two plays later, Foster squirts up the middle from 13 yards out on great lead blocks by James Casey and Chris Myers.

2:41 PM ET

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The story of the first half is evident in the numbers:

First downs: Colts 13, Texans 7

Penalties: Colts 1-9, Texans 5-20

Number of offensive plays: Colts 38, Texans 25

Time of possession: Colts 16:44, Texans 13:44

The Texans look as befuddled as they did in losing to the Vikings. They are acting as if they are in the totally unfamiliar position of protecting a No.1 AFC playoff seed.

The Colts look confident and are playing as if they have nothing to lose. Which, according to their playoff placement, is exactly the case.

2:23 PM ET

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Another Houston penalty is called as T.Y. Hilton takes a pass to the one-yard line, and Vick Ballard punches it in over the left side of the Colts' line (LT Anthony Costonzo and LG Joe Reitz) for the TD.

Ballard had a 20-yard run on the first play of the drive to loosen up Houston secondary for Hilton reception.

2:13 PM ET

Vontae Davis
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Schaub underthrows James Casey who had Vontae Davis beat, but the Colts DB picks it off and returns it to the Houston 39. The Texans' QB had the time but short-armed another long pass, a longstanding issue for him.

2:08 PM ET

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Watt gets his 16th tipped pass of the season, extending his record for defensive linemen.

Houston is called for two more penalties; they have five for 20 yards on the game. The Colts have none.

1:53 PM ET

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Matt Schaub finally hits Johnson in-stride all the way to Colts' 20-yard line. Alas, Houston once again turns red-zone opportunity into three points. They were 1-5 in the previous Colts game in the same area.

1:49 PM ET

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Fumble overturned on review: who was Luck throwing to that made it a pass?

T.J. Hilton continues to torment the Texans with 17-yard reception. The Ninja Assassin, Antonio Smith, sacks Luck on third down to force punt.

Keshawn Martin has nice 22-yard punt return to Colts' 38-yard line.

1:41 PM ET

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Watt gets a strip-sack recovered by Whitney Mercilus on Colts 14. CBS' Dan Diedorf commented Luck holds on to the ball too long, a constant problem throughout the season.

1:34 PM ET

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Kubiak puts his challenge record further in the red with a dubious 12-man call on Indy defense. DeVier Posey bails out his head coach with a third-and-13 pass for a first down over a prone Vontae Davis.

False start by Andre Johnson; Colts have the Texans playing like the Chiefs last week. Another bubble screen pass to Johnson on third-and-nine?

1:27 PM ET

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Arian Foster follows the lead of the Chiefs by running on four straight plays until Schaub finds Owen Daniels on third down. Gary Kubiak continues to use deep threat Andre Johnson on a bubble screen.

Clinton Geathers comes untouched over gap vacated by Pro Bowlers Wade Smith and Chris Myers to sack Schaub for nine-yard loss. This is how the AFC South division champ plays under pressure?

1:15 PM ET

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Glover Quin gambles on INT but TE Dwayne Allen takes the catch to the Houston 4-yard line. Then Brandon Harris loses track of the ball on a PI call in the end zone. Luck ends the drive by hitting a wide-open Coby Fleener after a perfect play-action handoff to Ballard.

1:08 PM ET

Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Andrew Luck is riddling the Texans porous defense by stepping up in the pocket, using motion and screens as the Colts OL has the early edge on Watt and company.

1:03 PM ET

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Chuck Pagano is fighting back tears as a highlight video on the Colts' surprising season plays on the Jumbotron.

12:26 PM ET

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A bankrupt, former DT of the Buccaneers looks like he's picking the Texans to lose today:

NFL Network
✔
@nflnetwork
14 home teams will win today for the 3rd time in NFL history -@WarrenSapp #boldpredictions
30 Dec 12
12:18 PM ET

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The Chiefs gained 195 yards rushing over the left side of their offensive line in the Colts game last week. This also happens to be the most skilled flank of the Texans’ OL.

KC's Jamal Charles had a 226-yard day on the ground last week, and today the Colts have two DL starters out. You think Arian Foster is paying attention?

12:08 PM ET

Cory Redding
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Colts' Tom Zbikowski is also out. Starters DE Cory Redding and NT Antonio Johnson are not playing; next up on the depth chart are Ricardo Mathews and Martin Tevaseu.

11:56 AM ET

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Brian Baldinger breaks down how the Colts can exploit the secondary of the Texans:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/indianapolis-colts/0ap2000000118058/Playbook-Texans-vs-Colts

11:45 AM ET

Scott Halleran/Getty Images
Texans inactives: OLB Brooks Reed, CB Alan Ball, G Antoine Caldwell, G Cody White, NT Terrell McClain, T Andrew Gardner, CB Stanford Routt.

Colts inactives: WR Nathan Palmer, S Delano Howell, Delone Carter, C Samson Satele, OT Tony Hills, DE Cory Redding, NT Antonio Johnson