It didn’t seem like the Indianapolis Colts could afford to let their Week 3 matchup with the Houston Texans come down to the kicking game.
Spencer Shrader was questionable on the injury report all week due to a groin injury.
As reliable as Shrader has become for the Colts, a kicker with a groin injury sounds like a problem.
Sure, the Colts didn’t sign anyone else as a potential replacement. It always pointed to Shrader playing in the game.
But would he be able to bring his long-range kicking? That seemed like less of a sure thing.
And then the final scoreboard read Colts 19, Texans 17 — and if you know football, you know that sounds a heck of a lot like a game with some field-goal kicking for the winners.
How Spencer Shrader Became Colts’ Unlikely Hero
The groin injury evidently didn’t hold Shrader back.
Only he will know for sure how much he was pushing through pain, but whatever the answer, the results speak for themselves.
Shrader began the game with a short field goal, a 39-yard make. That’s the kind of distance that didn’t really reveal yet whether Shrader would be limited, but it was good for a 3-0 lead.
Then just before halftime, Shrader passed his first real test. The Colts chose to let him try a 58-yard field goal, and he got all of the kick and drilled it for a 13-7 halftime lead.
The Colts clearly could count on Shrader at that point. He was easy money on a 37-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter for a 16-7 lead.
The Texans rallied, though. They took a 17-16 lead with 1:48 to play on a 1-yard rushing touchdown from Woody Marks.
The Colts had one more kick left for the day’s star, though.
They got just enough into position to give Shrader a try from 53 yards out, and he made it one more time.
The final: Colts 19, Texans 17 — and four field goals for Shrader despite an injured groin.
Massively Important Win
This win could mean everything for the Colts.
Both they and the Texans entered the day at 0-2, and the loser would also be beginning their divisional schedule with a loss.
The Colts didn’t move the ball great, but they found a way to win, and that’s what good teams do.
It doesn’t guarantee the Colts are fixed, but it sure does help the cause.
And the reality is that each win of a season usually has a hero, sometimes one that no one is expecting.
Here, it was Shrader. And if he started the day in pain, he probably ended it simply with a smile.
How Kicker Spencer Shrader Became Colts’ Unlikely Hero