Colts' Tyler Goodson says fateful drop in loss to Texans 'doesn't define me' - ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyler Goodson had played 45 NFL snaps before the Indianapolis Colts' massive AFC South showdown against the Houston Texans on Saturday night.

But none of those snaps was nearly as pivotal as the fourth-down play that Goodson, a backup running back, was asked to make in the final moments against Houston, with a trip to the playoffs hanging in the balance.

Goodson got two hands on the ball but ultimately dropped quarterback Gardner Minshew's off-target throw on fourth-and-1 from Houston's 15-yard line, effectively ending the Colts' chances of toppling the Texans.

The Texans took possession and went on to win 23-17, eliminating the Colts from the postseason and sending Houston to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Goodson was left to merely lament the greatest opportunity — and failure — of his young career.

«I'm going to go talk to my parents,» a tearful Goodson said in a somber locker room. «They're probably the only people that are loving me right now.»

Goodson, who came out of Iowa in 2022, did not appear in a regular-season game until the Colts' Week 13 matchup with the Tennessee Titans. He joined the Colts' practice squad in September and wasn't promoted to the active roster until December. Nevertheless, Goodson had been identified by Shane Steichen during practices last week as the player who would be called upon to run a flat route in the short-yardage play that the Indianapolis coach had saved for a critical situation.

Goodson had not touched the ball in Saturday's contest before the fateful play, though Minshew had overthrown him on an earlier pass attempt. Additionally, the decision to target Goodson came despite star running back Jonathan Taylor's stunning 188-yard rushing performance.

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