Game story
In Week 15 of the 2014 NFL season on 2014-12-14, the Indianapolis Colts took care of business against the Houston Texans, pulling away with a 17–10 final that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 14 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
A. Luck (Indianapolis Colts) paced the passing game, with -11.77 total EPA, and -8.8% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, H. Nicks (Indianapolis Colts) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +4.84 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-16.9% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when Indianapolis Colts changed the game: (6:05) (Shotgun) 12-A.Luck pass short left intended for 80-C.Fleener INTERCEPTED by 21-K.Lewis at IND 27. 21-K.Lewis for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q4 | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 H. Nicks · Indianapolis Colts · Receiving · +4.84 total EPA · 2 snaps · +2.42 EPA/play
- 2 D. Posey · Houston Texans · Receiving · +2.68 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.68 EPA/play
- 3 D. Johnson · Houston Texans · Receiving · +1.40 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.47 EPA/play
- 4 D. Herron · Indianapolis Colts · Rushing · +1.21 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.11 EPA/play
- 5 D. Allen · Indianapolis Colts · Receiving · +0.69 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.17 EPA/play
- 6 D. Herron · Indianapolis Colts · Receiving · +0.06 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.02 EPA/play
- 7 T. Savage · Houston Texans · Passing · -0.01 total EPA · 23 snaps · -0.00 EPA/play
- 8 R. Griffin · Houston Texans · Receiving · -0.27 total EPA · 4 snaps · -0.07 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
H. Nicks — IND · Receiving
H. Nicks posted the highest total EPA (+4.84) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Indianapolis Colts's efficiency. Across 2 counted snaps, they averaged +2.42 EPA per play.
The signature play (-6.51 EPA) came from Indianapolis Colts: (6:05) (Shotgun) 12-A.Luck pass short left intended for 80-C.Fleener INTERCEPTED by 21-K.Lewis at IND 27. 21-K.Lewis for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Houston Texans — K. Lewis
- Indianapolis Colts — H. Nicks (A. Luck pass)
- Indianapolis Colts — D. Allen (A. Luck pass)
Field goals
- Houston Texans — R. Bullock
- Indianapolis Colts — A. Vinatieri
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Houston Texans won the period 7–0. Houston Texans found the end zone from the HOU 84 (Q1 51:05); Houston Texans added 1 points from the IND 2 (Q1 50:56) — 4-R.Bullock extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-9-S.Lechler..
The second quarter: Indianapolis Colts won the period 14–0. Indianapolis Colts found the end zone from the HOU 26 (Q2 45:00) — (15:00) (Shotgun) 12-A.Luck pass short middle to 14-H.Nicks for 26 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Indianapolis Colts added 1 points from the HOU 2 (Q2 44:53) — 4-A.Vinatieri extra point is GOOD, Center-45-M.Overton, Holder-1-P.McAfee.; Indianapolis Colts found the end zone from the HOU 3 (Q2 36:26) — (6:26) (Run formation) 12-A.Luck pass short middle to 83-D.Allen for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Indianapolis Colts added 1 points from the HOU 2 (Q2 36:21) — 4-A.Vinatieri extra point is GOOD, Center-45-M.Overton, Holder-1-P.McAfee..
The fourth quarter: The quarter finished even at 3–3. Houston Texans connected on a field goal from the IND 35 (Q4 13:45) — (13:45) 4-R.Bullock 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-9-S.Lechler.; Indianapolis Colts connected on a field goal from the HOU 11 (Q4 2:15) — (2:15) 4-A.Vinatieri 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-45-M.Overton, Holder-1-P.McAfee..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Indianapolis Colts (Q1 51:05) — (6:05) (Shotgun) 12-A.Luck pass short left intended for 80-C.Fleener INTERCEPTED by 21-K.Lewis at IND 27. 21-K.Lewis for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Houston Texans (Q2 37:51) — (7:51) 3-T.Savage FUMBLES (Aborted) at HOU 37, RECOVERED by IND-92-B.Werner at HOU 38. 92-B.Werner to HOU 37 for 1 yard (23-A.Foster).
- Indianapolis Colts (Q2 45:00) — (15:00) (Shotgun) 12-A.Luck pass short middle to 14-H.Nicks for 26 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Houston Texans (Q4 7:18) — (7:18) (Shotgun) 3-T.Savage pass incomplete deep right to 10-D.Hopkins.
- Houston Texans (Q4 13:45) — (13:45) 4-R.Bullock 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-9-S.Lechler.
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Indianapolis Colts (Q1 51:05) — (6:05) (Shotgun) 12-A.Luck pass short left intended for 80-C.Fleener INTERCEPTED by 21-K.Lewis at IND 27. 21-K.Lewis for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Houston Texans (Q2 37:51) — (7:51) 3-T.Savage FUMBLES (Aborted) at HOU 37, RECOVERED by IND-92-B.Werner at HOU 38. 92-B.Werner to HOU 37 for 1 yard (23-A.Foster).
- Indianapolis Colts (Q2 38:03) — (8:03) (Shotgun) 12-A.Luck pass short middle to 87-R.Wayne to HOU 41 for 1 yard (34-A.Bouye) [51-J.Simon]. FUMBLES (34-A.Bouye), RECOVERED by HOU-34-A.Bouye at HOU 40. 34-A.Bouye to HOU 40 for no gain
- Indianapolis Colts (Q2 45:00) — (15:00) (Shotgun) 12-A.Luck pass short middle to 14-H.Nicks for 26 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Quarterback report card
A.Luck led all passers in efficiency for Indianapolis Colts, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- A.Luck (Indianapolis Colts) · 44 dropbacks · 40.9% completion · -8.8% CPOE · -0.27 EPA/play · -11.77 total EPA
- T.Savage (Houston Texans) · 23 dropbacks · 43.5% completion · -5.9% CPOE · -0.00 EPA/play · -0.01 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Houston Texans | Indianapolis Colts |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.226 | -0.163 |
| Offensive success rate | 37.5% | 47.0% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.049 | -0.268 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.467 | -0.123 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.163 | +0.226 |
| Defensive success rate | 53.0% | 62.5% |
By the numbers
Indianapolis Colts held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (-0.16 vs -0.23), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
- Houston Texans: 13 drives, -19.87 total EPA, 1 scoring drives
- Indianapolis Colts: 14 drives, -13.54 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Indianapolis Colts leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- H. Nicks (Indianapolis Colts) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- A. Luck (IND) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
- T. Savage (HOU) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Houston Texans TD (+6) — Q1 51:05 · HOU 84 · Score 6-0
(6:05) (Shotgun) 12-A.Luck pass short left intended for 80-C.Fleener INTERCEPTED by 21-K.Lewis at IND 27. 21-K.Lewis for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Houston Texans XP (+1) — Q1 50:56 · IND 2 · Score 7-0
4-R.Bullock extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-9-S.Lechler. - Indianapolis Colts TD (+6) — Q2 45:00 · HOU 26 · Score 7-6
(15:00) (Shotgun) 12-A.Luck pass short middle to 14-H.Nicks for 26 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Indianapolis Colts XP (+1) — Q2 44:53 · HOU 2 · Score 7-7
4-A.Vinatieri extra point is GOOD, Center-45-M.Overton, Holder-1-P.McAfee. - Indianapolis Colts TD (+6) — Q2 36:26 · HOU 3 · Score 7-13
(6:26) (Run formation) 12-A.Luck pass short middle to 83-D.Allen for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Indianapolis Colts XP (+1) — Q2 36:21 · HOU 2 · Score 7-14
4-A.Vinatieri extra point is GOOD, Center-45-M.Overton, Holder-1-P.McAfee. - Houston Texans FG (+3) — Q4 13:45 · IND 35 · Score 10-14
(13:45) 4-R.Bullock 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-9-S.Lechler. - Indianapolis Colts FG (+3) — Q4 2:15 · HOU 11 · Score 10-17
(2:15) 4-A.Vinatieri 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-45-M.Overton, Holder-1-P.McAfee.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts?
The Indianapolis Colts beat the Houston Texans 17-10 in Week 15, 2014 on 2014-12-14.
What was the final score of Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts?
The final score was Houston Texans 10, Indianapolis Colts 17 (HOU 10-17 IND) in Week 15, 2014 on 2014-12-14.
What was the score by quarter in Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts?
Q1: Houston Texans 7, Indianapolis Colts 0; Q2: Houston Texans 0, Indianapolis Colts 14; Q4: Houston Texans 3, Indianapolis Colts 3; Final: Houston Texans 10, Indianapolis Colts 17.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts?
Houston Texans touchdown — K. Lewis (Q1 51:05) Indianapolis Colts touchdown — H. Nicks (A. Luck pass) (Q2 45:00) Indianapolis Colts touchdown — D. Allen (A. Luck pass) (Q2 36:26) Houston Texans field goal — R. Bullock (Q4 13:45, 3 pts) Indianapolis Colts field goal — A. Vinatieri (Q4 2:15, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts?
A. Luck (Indianapolis Colts), 40.9% completion, -8.8% CPOE, -0.27 EPA per dropback, -11.77 total passing EPA. T. Savage (Houston Texans), 43.5% completion, -5.9% CPOE, -0.00 EPA per dropback, -0.01 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts?
H. Nicks (Indianapolis Colts) led the game in total EPA with +4.84 on receiving plays. across 2 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-6.51 EPA): (6:05) (Shotgun) 12-A.Luck pass short left intended for 80-C.Fleener INTERCEPTED by 21-K.Lewis at IND 27. 21-K.Lewis for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.. The biggest win-probability swing was -16.9%.
Was Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts a close game?
Yes — the margin was 7 points. Indianapolis Colts won 17-10 in a game that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
Season records after this game
Houston Texans
Entered 7-6 Now 7-7 L
Indianapolis Colts
Entered 9-4 Now 10-4 W
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