Shrader's 53-Yarder Ends Colts' Eleven-Month Drought Despite Warmup Groin Injury

The Indianapolis Colts ended a nine-game losing streak on 27 September, beating Houston 19-17 with Spencer Shrader's 53-yard field goal with 16 seconds left, per NFL.com. Shrader, who hurt his groin in warmups, per ESPN, finished 4-for-4 and extended his perfect 2026 season record to 8-for-8.

A streak that spanned seasons

Per ESPN, the Colts' nine-game losing streak stretched back to 9 November 2025, when they beat the Falcons 31-25 in Germany. That means Indianapolis went nearly eleven months without a win, a collapse that grew more striking when measured against wins on U.S. soil: per ESPN, the Colts had not won on U.S. soil since beating the Titans on 26 October 2025, more than ten months prior. Sunday's victory therefore meant different things depending on how you measured it—an end to the winless run overall, and a breakthrough on American turf. Per ESPN, the Texans arrived 0-2, winless themselves and searching for their first victory of the season, but Indianapolis needed the moment more.

Shrader's groin and his resolve

Spencer Shrader sustained a groin injury during pregame warmups, the kind of setback that often keeps kickers off the field. Per ESPN, Shrader applied therapy and felt good enough to play. In his own words, given to ESPN:

We did some therapy on it and it felt really good. I just had to make sure to not overdo it and not make it any worse.

He made that choice and delivered one of his best performances this season. Per ESPN, Shrader kicked from 39, 58, 37 and 53 yards, finishing 4-for-4 on the day. That extended his 2026 record to a perfect 8-for-8, per ESPN. After the game, reflecting on his striking, Shrader told ESPN:

What's crazy is I feel like today was one of my best days overall out there with how I was striking the ball.

It was a contrast: pain in the warmup, precision under the lights.

The final drive and Steichen's call

Houston took a 17-16 lead with 1:50 remaining, per ESPN, a late score that looked as though it might hold. Indianapolis faced a one-point deficit with the clock shrinking. Head coach Shane Steichen had to choose: chase a touchdown or trust his kicker's leg. Per ESPN, Steichen explained the logic:

You want to be aggressive there in that situation, but you also want to get into field goal range. We felt good about Spencer's range.

Daniel Jones took charge of that final drive. Per ESPN's box score, he completed 24 of 36 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown and one interception, though he also lost two fumbles. Jonathan Taylor carried the workload on the ground, rushing 23 times for 68 yards, per the same source. As the drive progressed and the clock wound down, Shrader was called on once more. With 16 seconds left, per NFL.com, he connected from 53 yards, the ball sailing through the uprights to give the Colts the win.

Houston's effort and the loss

C.J. Stroud and the Texans' passing attack kept pace with 16 of 27 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown, per ESPN's box score. Houston could not prevent the Colts' final field-goal drive. For a team 0-2 entering Sunday, the loss extended their winless start to 0-3, per ESPN.

Quarterback	Completions	Attempts	Yards	TD	INT
Daniel Jones (Indianapolis)	24	36	235	1	1
C.J. Stroud (Houston)	16	27	167	1	0

What comes next

The Colts move to 1-2 with this win, per ESPN. Per ESPN, this was their first victory in their last six meetings with the Texans, marking a reversal of a broader trend. The Texans, meanwhile, remain winless at 0-3, per ESPN. Per ESPN and NFL.com, the Colts travel to London in Week 4 to face Washington, while Houston hosts the Dallas Cowboys. For Indianapolis, the next challenge comes across the Atlantic; for Houston, the losses mount at home.

Sources

• ESPN
• NFL.com