Inside the play that effectively ended the Colts' season: 'It came down to a couple plays.'

INDIANAPOLIS — Two locker spaces from Colts superstar running back Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Goodson stood, quietly answering questions from a small horde of reporters.

The media contingent around Goodson swelled as Taylor finished his own media availability — the backup running back stood tall, but his eyes were bloodshot. His voice wavered as he answered questions about his role in the most pivotal play of the Colts' game against the Texans — possibly the most crucial play of Indianapolis’ season.

“I just felt like a failure,” Goodson said, teary-eyed. “I know I’m not a failure, but that's what it felt like. But I felt a lot of love from my teammates by telling me to keep my head up. But me just being me, I’m always hard on myself. I know I could have made that play and that play should have been made.”

More: Insider: Colts fall a yard short of playoff berth on missed 4th-and-1 pass in 23-19 loss

The Colts were down, 23-17, late in the fourth quarter on Saturday night in a win-or-go-home game against the Houston Texans, an AFC South rival. Indianapolis was at Houston’s 15-yard line with 1 minute left, and lined up for 4th-and-1 play as it sought a playoff berth.

In a designed play that Colts coach Shane Steichen said they practiced with this specific personnel group, quarterback Gardner Minshew threw a screen to Goodson, the third-string running back, on the left side.

Goodson was wide open, but the throw was a little behind him. It grazed his hands, then fell helplessly to the turf.

“I’m equally as responsible for that not working,” Minshew said. “We all have plays that we could have back. Just because it’s the last one doesn’t make it that much more significant. I told (Goodson) I’d go back with him every time, I’d throw that ball to him every time. I’ve got a ton of trust in him and the player he is, and the player he’s going to be.”

Goodson lay face down near the 10-yard line after the play, Texans coaches celebrating behind him.

With less than a minute left and the Colts possessing two timeouts, Houston intentionally took a safety, then punted the ball back to Indianapolis, which could not executive a hook-and-ladder play. Final: Texans 23, Colts 19.

"It came down to a couple plays; that's playoff football," Taylor said. "Comes in crunch time, you gotta make those plays. You gotta make those plays. You gotta make them, you have to. Playoff football are the teams that make the most plays, and we didn't make enough."

Postgame, Steichen defended his decision to take a vital timeout and draw up that specific play without Taylor or backup running back Zack Moss. Taylor was available — he had left the game briefly with an ankle injury and returned, rushing for seven straight plays before the 4th-and-1 call. Steichen thought the pass play, which could break through Houston’s man-to-man defense, would give them a fresh set of downs.

In theory, it would have. But it all came down to execution.

“I had full confidence in that play, in that situation,” Steichen said. “I went with my gut, and I saw the look, and that’s what we went with.”

Goodson tried his best to stay in good spirits following the game, employing some dry humor throughout his media availability.

“I’m going to go home and talk to my parents; they’re probably the only people that are loving me right now,” Goodson said, laughing.

Goodson had limited touches with the Colts this season, his second in the NFL. The Iowa product spent the the 2022 season on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad before signing with the Colts for 2023 training camp. Indianapolis kept him on the practice squad for much of the season, but he played in their last six games, gaining 87 yards on 13 rushes and 34 yards on six receptions.

According to Scott Spratt, a writer for FTN Fantasy, Goodson was the only running back on the Colts’ roster that entered Indianapolis’ season finale without a drop.

“That’ll never happen again,” Goodson said. “I work too hard to drop the ball like that, and I have to accept that.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts miss playoffs after 4th-and-1 drop from Gardner Minshew to Tyler Goodson