Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a career-best six field goals, including the go-ahead 43-yarder with 12 seconds remaining, as the host Houston Texans defeated the Indianapolis Colts 38-30 on Sunday afternoon.
The victory was the ninth in a row for Houston (12-5), which will be the No. 5 seed in the AFC and will visit either the Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round next weekend.
The loss was the seventh straight for the Colts (8-9). Blake Grupe kicked a 22-yard field goal with 2:39 remaining to give Indianapolis a 30-29 lead.
Houston was in the running for the AFC South crown but the Jacksonville Jaguars pounded the Tennessee Titans 41-7 to win the title.
With the Jaguars well ahead in their game, the Texans rested several starters in the second half, including C.J. Stroud, who completed 14 of 23 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown in the first half. Davis Mills was 3-of-9 passing for 36 yards in the second half.
Jayden Higgins caught a touchdown pass for Houston. Tommy Togiai scored on a 17-yard fumble to end the game when Indianapolis’ lateral-fest backfired. It was Togiai’s first career touchdown.
Riley Leonard completed 21 of 34 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Colts in his first NFL start.
Alec Pierce caught four passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns before being ejected late in the third quarter for making contact with an official.
Leonard scored on a 1-yard run on the Colts’ drive to open the third quarter as his team took a 24-23 lead. Fairbairn kicked a 43-yard field goal to put Houston ahead with 6:53 left before Grupe booted a 39-yard field goal as Indianapolis held a 27-26 edge with 1:42 left.
An interception by Alijah Huzzie gave Houston great field position at the Colts’ 33-yard line but the Texans settled for Fairbairn’s 44-yard field goal and a two-point lead with 11:15 left in the game.
Stroud accounted for two touchdowns in the first half as the Texans led 23-17 at the break.
On his first pass attempt of the day, Leonard fired a 66-yard touchdown pass to Pierce between Fairbairn field goals of 51 and 48 yards. Grupe kicked a 50-yard field goal to give the Colts a 10-6 lead with 34 seconds left in the first quarter.
Stroud threw an 11-yard scoring pass to Higgins to give the Texans the lead with 9:34 left in the first half.
Houston’s Danielle Hunter sacked Leonard and forced a fumble that Henry To’oTo’o recovered at the Indianapolis 2-yard line. Stroud scored on the next play to make it 20-10 with 8:32 remaining.
Leonard hit Pierce on an 8-yard scoring pass with 1:25 left before Fairbairn booted a 29-yard field goal on the final play of the half.
