INDIANAPOLIS – Something just didn’t feel right as the Indianapolis Colts rushed to the line for a controversial fourth-and-1 play late in Sunday’s 26-20 win against the Houston Texans.

Head coach Frank Reich considered calling a timeout and resetting the pieces. Instead, he allowed the drama to unfold from Houston’s 5-yard line with his team clinging to a 24-20 lead.

Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers made a quick – and Reich says correct – decision at the line of scrimmage, but running back Nyheim Hines was stuffed well short of the line to gain.

Reich remained convinced Monday he made the right call to eschew a field-goal attempt and try to extend the drive, and he took at least one immediate lesson from the fallout.

“Trust your instincts,” Reich said. “You felt like you should have called timeout and re-assessed it. That’s probably what I should have done.”

The idea was to go to the line without a huddle and catch the defense off guard. It worked on an earlier fourth-and-4 that saw a wide-open running back Jonathan Taylor score on a 39-yard catch-and-run.

There were options on the fourth-and-1 play, including a wide receiver screen. Rivers read the defensive end, saw that option was covered and handed the ball to Hines.

Several onlookers have questioned the personnel in the game, and that is related to one of Reich’s other regrets. But not for the most obvious reasons.

Some have suggested the more powerful Taylor would have been a better option as the ballcarrier, but Reich said it goes deeper than the running back. The Colts mixed personnel and formations on the play, which was installed during the week as a potential 2-point conversion attempt.

In retrospect, Reich believes there weren’t enough reps with that specific personnel set and formation to call the play in such a high-leverage situation.

“I really don’t think it was the best play call in hindsight,” Reich said. “The play draws up well. The play can be blocked. The play had options. Philip made the right decision. We didn’t execute it quite the way we needed to execute it, but it was more on me. I didn’t put the players in the best position possible.”

As for the decision to call an inside-zone run, Reich had some numbers from the analytics team that at least provide context.

Indianapolis is 9-for-14 on fourth-and-1 this season, a 64% success rate that is just below the league average of 65%. The Colts have run the ball 12 times in those situations, an 86% usage that is well above the league average of 76%.

But most of those runs (eight) have succeeded. And, again, the team’s 67% success rate is just below the NFL average of 68%.

Those numbers don’t prove Reich right or wrong. But they do help illuminate the depth of thought that goes into the decision making.

Reich puts a lot of stock in analytics, and the situation Sunday was a “clear go” on the Colts’ chart. But the head coach is careful not to be a slave to the data.

He trusts his gut, and he’s fully aware of the second-guessing that inevitably follows.

“That’s what makes this game so fun to watch and be a part of, that we can debate those things,” Reich said. “Those are decisions that need to be made in real time, and we’re confident in the philosophy that we have and the approach that we have in those situations.”

INJURY REPORT

Reich confirmed offensive lineman Le’Raven Clark suffered an Achilles tendon injury Sunday and will miss the remainder of the season. He filled in at left tackle for three games in place of injured Anthony Castonzo, including two starts.

“Obviously, that’s a big loss,” Reich said. “He’s come in and had a really good year for us.”

Chaz Green finished the game against the Texans at left tackle, despite practicing just once during the week because of a back injury. The Colts are in the process of signing another offensive lineman to the roster, but the process is lengthy because of COVID-19 protocols and it’s unclear whether any addition would be ready to play this week against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Green is the most likely option, but Indianapolis still hasn’t ruled out Castonzo. He’s making progress with his injured knee, and the team declined to put him on injured reserve in the hopes he could return in a shorter timeframe than the mandatory three-week absence.

The Colts will check in with Castonzo again Wednesday and are keeping all options open for now.

“Once we have everybody in the building and we assess where everybody is at physically, then we’ll put our plan together for this week,” Reich said.