Ryan, Colts rally but stall in OT for tie with Texans

HOUSTON (AP) — Coach Frank Reich wouldn't blame a missed field goal in overtime for the Indianapolis Colts' season-opening tie against the Houston Texans.

To him, it shouldn't have come down to that.

“There were plenty of mistakes throughout that game where we could have sealed it and we didn’t," Reich said.

Matt Ryan rallied Indianapolis in the fourth quarter to force overtime against the Texans in his Colts debut on Sunday, but neither team could score on two overtime possessions each and the game ended in a 20-20 tie.

The Texans led 20-3 entering the fourth quarter in coach Lovie Smith's debut, but Ryan led three successive scoring drives, culminating with his 15-yard touchdown pass to Michael Pittman with 1:54 remaining.

Indianapolis got the ball back with 1:19 left in regulation but was forced to punt — a sign of things to come in the extra period.

Houston got the ball first in OT, but Davis Mills was sacked twice, leading to a punt.

The Colts moved into field goal range with a 13-play drive that chewed up 6:30, but Rodrigo Blankenship’s 42-yard attempt sailed wide right with 2 minutes left.

Rex Burkhead was dropped for a 2-yard loss on third-and-1 with 40 seconds left and the Texans punted again, essentially playing for the draw.

The Colts got two more plays in but didn’t get anywhere close to field goal range as time expired and the crowd booed the first tie in Texans history.

“Obviously we didn’t lose the game, but it kind of feels that way since we were up, we were doing so many good things in the beginning and then they came back," Houston linebacker Christian Kirksey said.

Ryan, playing his first game for Indy after 14 seasons with Atlanta, threw an interception and lost a fumble as he struggled early. But he