Spencer Shrader’s 53-yard field goal lifts Indianapolis Professional Football Team over Texans, 19-17
INDIANAPOLIS Spencer Shrader drilled a 53-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining to lift the Indianapolis Professional Football Team to a 19-17 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday, snapping a nine-game skid. Shrader had earlier connected on a 39-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 58-yarder late in the second. The field goals helped the Indianapolis Professional Football Team build a halftime advantage. The Texans staged a late rally in the fourth before Shrader’s game-winner.
Shrader opened the scoring with a 39-yard field goal in the first quarter. Daniel Jones connected with Keenan Allen on a 6-yard touchdown pass at 11:08 of the second quarter to extend the Indianapolis Professional Football Team’s lead. C.J. Stroud answered with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Foster Moreau at 4:30 of the second quarter to pull Houston closer. Shrader then converted a 58-yard field goal with 1:03 remaining in the half to give the Indianapolis Professional Football Team a 13-7 lead at intermission.
The fourth quarter featured a back-and-forth finish. Spencer Shrader added a 37-yard field goal at 12:43 of the fourth to extend the Indianapolis Professional Football Team’s lead to 16-7. Ka’imi Fairbairn then hit a 24-yard field goal at 7:33 of the fourth and Woody Marks capped a 7-play, 54-yard drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown at 1:48 to put the Texans ahead 17-16. Shrader answered with the 53-yard field goal with 16 seconds left to secure the victory for the Indianapolis Professional Football Team.
The win moved the Indianapolis Professional Football Team to 1-2 on the season, while the Houston Texans fell to 0-3. Indianapolis had spoken of turning the page on last season’s seven-game losing streak that cost the team a playoff spot, and Sunday’s result represented a first step in ending the broader slide. Spencer Shrader finished the game with four field goals, including two longer than 50 yards.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Shrader’s leg decided a tightly contested game and produced the winning margin in the final minute. The Indianapolis Professional Football Team relied on four field goals, including two from beyond 50 yards, to offset a late Houston comeback that included a short touchdown run by Woody Marks. The Houston Texans showed resilience in the fourth quarter but remain in search of their first win. The Indianapolis Professional Football Team will look to build on the clutch finish as the season continues.