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

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts came within a yard of giving themselves a playoff shot.

But an Indianapolis team that was never supposed to be in position to get to the playoffs came up short, Gardner Minshew’s throw falling behind and outside of Tyler Goodson’s fingertips, and it sent the Colts’ rival to the playoffs instead.

Houston held on to beat Indianapolis 23-19 in the season finale, clinching a playoff berth for the Texans and leaving the Colts out of the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

Gardner Minshew fails to meet the moment

Minshew has had a few moments after taking over from Anthony Richardson this season, most notably big throws against Pittsburgh and Las Vegas when the Colts absolutely had to have them.

The backup quarterback couldn’t do the same in a winner-take-all series finale.

Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen put the ball in Minshew’s hands on fourth-and-1 with a chance to go ahead, and Minshew had backup running back Tyler Goodson open in the flat.

Minshew missed, Goodson failed to make a spinning catch and Houston had a chance to all but run out the clock.

If it were only one missed throw, it would be one thing.

But Minshew struggled all night long, forcing Indianapolis to put the game on the back of an injured Jonathan Taylor. Minshew completed just 13 of 24 passes for 141 yards, missing throws the Colts absolutely had to have, failing to see open receivers deep and struggling against a Houston pass defense that entered the game ranked 26th in the NFL in yards per attempt.

All season long, the Colts have been trying to make it to the playoffs despite playing with a backup quarterback, and Indianapolis came close.

Minshew wasn’t able to finish the job.

10 thoughts: On the Colts' heartbreaking loss to the Texans to end the season

Jonathan Taylor brings Colts back, nearly pulls it off twice

For most of the first three quarters, the running back who opened the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list and locked in a public contract dispute with his team was the only weapon the Indianapolis offense had at its disposal.

Unable to get anything going in the passing game, the Colts were forced to rely on Taylor, and the former first-team All-Pro looked better than he has all season, ripping off 165 yards and a game-tying 49-yard touchdown on 21 carries to bring Indianapolis back from a 14-3 deficit.

Indianapolis turned the offense over to Taylor almost entirely.

But the team’s star back, who has been unable to shake the injury bug this season — missing four games due to recovery from ankle surgery and then three more games after tearing a ligament in his thumb — limped off the field with an injury that was initially announced as a heel, then officially changed to an ankle designation, forcing backup Zack Moss into the lineup for the first time.

Moss picked up 30 yards on six carries.

And then Taylor made an impressive return. Initially announced as doubtful to return due to the ankle injury, Taylor returned to the sidelines before the start of the next series and immediately took a carry, trying to gut it out, and although it appeared that his ability to change direction was compromised, Taylor got going, picking up first downs as Indianapolis tried to put together a game-winning drive.

Taylor ended up finishing the game with 188 yards on 30 carries.

Colts defense never finds an answer for Nico Collins

Houston entered the game severely depleted at the wide receiver position. The Texans lost star rookie Tank Dell for the season weeks ago, ruled out Noah Brown before the game and didn’t get anything from veteran Robert Woods, leaving Collins as the only receiver of note in the Houston game plan.

Collins was almost all they needed.

The Texans dialed up a play-action shot on their first play of the game, and Collins torched Indianapolis rookie JuJu Brents — who might have been left alone by a safety when he was supposed to have help — for a 75-yard touchdown, knocking the air right out of Lucas Oil Stadium.

Indianapolis defensive tackle DeForest Buckner helped bring the Colts back, racking up six tackles, a sack, two quarterback hits and a tackle-for-loss.

But a Colts secondary that lost Brents never found an answer for Collins, who racked up nine catches for 195 yards and a touchdown, having a hand in just about everything the Houston offense did offensively.

A young Indianapolis secondary has struggled with top receivers from other teams this season, but nothing like Collins, who caught every single one of the nine passes Stroud threw in his direction.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts vs. Texans: Colts fall yard short of playoffs on 4th-and-1 pass