The Sports Xchange

HOUSTON — As his condition deteriorated through the course of a short week of preparation, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck considered the possibility that the bacterial infection that hit him Sunday would prevent him from playing Thursday night against the Houston Texans.

Hasselbeck persevered beyond reasonable measure, though, and in coordination with a fabulous homecoming for receiver Andre Johnson, helped the Colts earn a 27-20 win over the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.

Hampered by an illness that rendered him useless Monday and Tuesday and lethargic all day Thursday, Hasselbeck nevertheless completed 18 of 29 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns, both to Johnson, who was unceremoniously released by the Texans last offseason following 12 incredible seasons with his first franchise.

“It’s a special group in the locker room, and to get the win, that was really my No. 1 goal, just give this team anything that I had, which I didn’t know how much it was,” said Hasselbeck, who started in place of Andrew Luck (shoulder) for a second consecutive game.

“And I felt that way. ‘Hey, I’m here for one reason, and if Andrew is not able to go, I have to be able to go and get this team a win.'”

Johnson, who caught 64 touchdown passes with the Texans, had scoring grabs of 4 and 2 yards Thursday and finished with six receptions for 77 yards. During the week, he downplayed his return to Houston externally and within the Colts’ locker room, and he remained stoic afterward.

“You can’t really get caught up in what people say,” Johnson said in a veiled reference to the Texans believing he was well past his prime. “I never have, never will. I just always keep playing, and when I feel like I can’t do it no more, then I’ll walk away from the game.”

The Colts (3-2) won their third consecutive game and extended their winning streak within the AFC South to an NFL-record 16 consecutive games. They last lost within the division on Dec. 16, 2012, at Houston.

Colts running back Frank Gore gained 98 yards on 22 carries, including a 3-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter that rebuilt the lead to 20-10 and answered a Texans Hail Mary that closed the first half.

Houston quarterback Brian Hoyer, who entered midway through the second quarter, engineered four scoring drives and threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns on 24-of-31 passing. However, his interception with 1:45 to play, the second pick of the game for Colts safety Mike Adams, sealed the loss.

What we learned about the Texans:

1. Texans coach Bill O’Brien has no idea who his starting quarterback should be. O’Brien pulled starter Ryan Mallett for a second consecutive week, this time under the guise of an injury that only sidelined Mallett temporarily. Backup Brian Hoyer, who was replaced by Mallett in the season opener, played well in reserve to keep the carousel spinning. “Brian, I thought, did a good job tonight, but we’ll talk about it,” O’Brien said of switching quarterbacks again. “I haven’t even talked to the staff yet about it. We’ll sit down and review film.”

2. Texans running back Arian Foster appeared closer to his normal form, a positive development for a sporadic offense. While he averaged just 2.2 yards on 19 carries, Foster added 77 receiving yards on nine receptions and was his usual threatening self out of the backfield. Foster returned to action on Sunday after missing the first three games following groin surgery.

3. Missing veteran receivers Cecil Shorts III and Nate Washington, Texans rookies Jaelen Strong and Keith Mumphery acquitted themselves well filling the gaps beside DeAndre Hopkins. Strong caught a pair of scoring passes while Mumphery added four receptions to keep the passing attack in rhythm. “It definitely got the jitters out of me,” said Strong, who was active for the first time this season.

Etc.:

–QB Brian Hoyer produced his second consecutive strong performance off the bench, passing for 312 yards and two touchdowns to further muddle the Texans’ quarterback picture. “That’s not for me to decide,” Hoyer said on whether he should be named the starter for a second time this season. “My job is to go out and if I play, I play, and try to play the best I can.”

–DE JJ Watt had one of the quietest games of his career, recording two assists and one quarterback hit while serving as a non-factor. As a team, the Texans failed to record a sack of Colts QB Matt Hasselbeck. “We’re not happy, obviously, but we’re going to go back to work and figure it out.”

–WR DeAndre Hopkins had a monster performance in the absence of veterans Cecil Shorts III and Nate Washington, recording 11 receptions on 14 targets for 169 yards. For Hopkins, it was his third consecutive 100-yard game. The receptions total represented a career high while the yardage was a season best. “I lost tonight so my stats don’t really mean too much to me personally,” Hopkins said.