Colts…31 Texans…27

HOUSTON – Peyton Manning turned a colossal collapse by the Houston Texans into a stunning victory for the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts scored 21 points in a late span of 2:10 – two touchdowns thanks to fumbles by Texans quarterback Sage Rosenfels – then intercepted Rosenfels’ last-ditch comeback attempt for a 31-27 win.

Manning threw two touchdown passes, connecting with Reggie Wayne on a five-yarder with 1:54 left for the decisive points. Linebacker Gary Brackett returned a fumble by Rosenfels 68 yards for a score in between Manning’s touchdown throws.

Rookie Tom Santi caught the other late score, a seven-yarder to bring the Colts (2-2) within 27-17 with 4:04 to go.

Backup Rosenfels, playing for the ill Matt Schaub, had the winless Texans (0-4) ahead by 17 points before losing two fumbles and throwing an interception. Texans fans had wanted to see Schaub replaced all season, and Rosenfels was nearly flawless for three quarters. Then came one of the most colossal collapses in the history of the young franchise.

After Manning found Santi for his touchdown, Indianapolis attempted an onside kick, but Houston recovered. On the next drive, Rosenfels ran right into the Colts’ defensive line, which upended him and knocked the ball loose. Brackett ran it in to make it 27-24.

Quoteworthy: “For one play I made a really stupid mistake and that started the downward spiral.” – Sage Rosenfels, Texans quarterback, on one of his fumbles

From the Associated Press