Tyler Goodson, the little-used running back whose drop of a poor pass by quarterback Gardner Minshew eliminated the Indianapolis Colts from playoff contention Saturday night, held back tears as he took responsibility for the play after the game.
“I was just feeling like a failure,” an emotional Goodson said after the Colts’ 23-19 loss to the Texans that helped Houston secure a playoff spot. “I know I’m not a failure, I’m going to just state that. I felt a lot of love from the teammates, everybody telling me to keep my head up. Me just being me, I’m always hard on myself, and I know I could have made that play and that play should have been made. I’ve just got to go back to the drawing board, keep working on my craft, and next year come back even better.”
The decisive play came on fourth-and-1 and the ball on Houston’s 15-yard-line with 1:06 remaining in the fourth quarter.
First-year Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen, who drew raves throughout the season for his offensive playcalling — especially after the season-ending injury to rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson — opted against handing the ball to one of the best running backs in the game, Jonathan Taylor, in favor of the pass to Goodson, who had just six receptions on the season.
Taylor was dealing with a heel injury during the game but finished with 188 yards on the ground.
And Goodson hadn’t touched the ball all night.
Steichen called timeout before the play to get the personnel right and Goodson was open on the play, but Minshew’s pass was slightly behind him and a twisting Goodson couldn’t come up with the catch.
“I’m going to go talk to my parents,” Goodson said of the play. “They’re probably the only people that are loving me right now.”
But the 23-year-old Goodson added he would bounce back.
“This doesn’t define me as a player,” Goodson said. “It definitely motivates me. I work too hard to not make that play, and it’s going to haunt me for days and days and days until I get back in that position to make that same play.”
And Taylor, who wasn’t on the field for the final play, declined to criticize the decision.
“I stand by the coaches,” Taylor said. “You see what Shane has done all year. Have you really questioned his calls all year? He’s been calling the right play at the right time.”
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Dan Martin
