The next stop on my stupid quest to see games featuring NFL teams that I've yet to see on the road was Indianapolis, where the Houston Texans were taking on the Colts in an AFC South tilt. Although the Texans visit the Giants in December, I have a lot of unused airline miles and hotel points from all my previous travels, so I am dipping into those where possible. I also hadn't been back to Indy since my NFL road trip visit in 2013, so I figured this was an ideal opportunity to do so. Both flights and the hotel were booked on points, making it a cheap start to the trip, and it only got better from there.
My flight was scheduled to arrive at 11:34, about 90 minutes before kickoff. But when I reached the airport, the arrival time had been changed to 11:59, which was not a welcome change. I have no idea why this time was posted, because we left early and arrived at 10:59, more than 30 minutes than originally scheduled. A true rarity flying out of LGA. There were clear skies and I had a left side window seat, allowing for some great photos of the New York area (above) and lower Manhattan (below).
As we landed in Indianapolis, the sun was shining in the east, but as the plane was west of downtown, it did not allow for a fully lit shot. You can see Lucas Oil Stadium in the middle of the photo below with the roof already open.
After a friendly Lyft ride downtown, I went to my hotel to drop off my bag. Surprisingly, they had a room ready for me, so I was able to charge my phone, which is now an important consideration when traveling. Even better, I was offered the welcome amenity choice: 300 points (worth about $2) or a free drink at the hotel bar (worth about $7). No prizes for guessing which one I chose. The room faced the stadium just a block east (below). Sharp observers will note that this photo was taken after the game as the roof is now closed and the sun is shining from the west.
Once the phone had suitable battery life, I took a quick walk around the stadium, checking out the south side with its closed window...
...and the north side with its open window, through which you can see the open roof as well.
The Colts track their record based on whether the roof and window are open or closed. In the 81 games before today, they were 8-0 with the roof open but the window closed, but 8-8 with both open. With this game being a pick 'em, it seemed that the window should be closed, but that is 20/20 hindsight.
There are a couple of quarterbacks outside the main gate: above is Peyton Manning, who is pretty much a god here; below is an inflatable that seems modeled on the statue.
Having taken the requisite pictures, I went looking for a ticket. I like to find season ticket holders who have an extra as they are desperate to unload, and I discovered just such a gentleman with a first row seat in the 300 level at one goal line. He told me what he wanted, I countered, he accepted, and boom, I was in with a great seat (view below) for 1/3 of face value. It is interesting that football fans think midfield is the best place to sit when most of the action happens near the goal line. Yes, you miss the events at the other goal line, but when the play is right in front of you, it is very compelling.
Before reaching my seat, I stopped in a few areas to take some pictures. Below is the southwest corner from the 100 level.
The west sideline, which goes all the way up to the 600 level. Note the very gradual slope in the lower deck, and almost no overhang above. This does push back those upper level sideline seats somewhat.
From the southeast corner, we see the window open with partial view of the skyline beyond.
Peyton was so special here that he gets an entire side of the Ring of Honor to himself. This was just below where I sat last time, which is why I did not notice it.
The Colts still cover the entire field with the flag during the national anthem and it is always an inspiring sight.
As I get older, I have to be more careful about what I eat. After examining the options, I opted for a banh mi, which usually is a tasty and relatively healthy Vietnamese sandwich with a bit of pork or beef and lots of vegetables. At Lucas Oil Stadium, however, a banh mi comes with about a half-pound of shredded pork, four cucumber slices, and 20 jalapenos. At $9, it is reasonably priced and was quite flavourful, but it completely destroyed my diet for the day.
Later that evening, while on my way to dinner, I walked by the north side and was surprised to see the window still open. Quite a nice touch with nobody around. This was only my second time here, but I really think that Lucas Oil Stadium (LOS) is one of the best venues in the league. The LOS acronym has to go though, as it is too close to LOSS. Which makes a perfect segue to the game.
The Game
The NFL is the most absurd league out there and this game was the most absurd I have seen. It is pointless to recap the whole thing, so let's focus on a few key plays. With Indy up 7-0 after scoring on their opening drive, Houston punted on their first possession, with the Colts taking over at their 2-yard line. The photo below is from the first play of that drive, an incompletion. On the next play, Luck fumbled the snap and Jadeveon Clowney recovered in the end zone for the touchdown. From my seat and with binoculars, I saw the play clearly. Luck actually grabbed the ball at first but Clowney dove in and stole it as others piled on. Again, sitting near the goal line is better than sitting at midfield.
Let's move forward to the end of the half. Houston had added a couple of touchdowns to make it 21-7 but Indy was driving. With time running out, they had reached the Texan 24, close enough for Adam Vinatieri to attempt a field goal. When the kick (below) sailed through the uprights, Vinatieri had set the all-time record for field goals with 566. That is some football history right there and the way kickers are cut after a couple of bad games, may not be broken for a long time.
Houston started the third quarter with an impressive drive that took 8:21 and finished with a touchdown to make it 28-10. Fans actually started to leave, which I found ridiculous, given how often comebacks happen in the league. Sure enough, Indy stormed back, scoring two touchdowns to make it 28-23 after a two-point conversion failed. Houston kicked a FG, but Indianapolis marched 85 yards in just 2:13 to score another TD to move within 2. This time, the two-point attempt succeeded (below) and after Houston's Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a long FG at the end of regulation, we had overtime. I'm sure those fans who left early were happy to have beaten the traffic.
The OT period saw both teams kick field goals after 4-minute drives on their initial possession, which meant sudden death with just 1:50 to go. The Colts had 4th and 4 at their own 43 and after failing to draw Houston offside, called a timeout. A punt was the most logical choice, but new head coach Frank Reich decided to go for it, a controversial choice. Luck threw a weak incompletion and Houston took over with 24 seconds left. On the first play, DeShaun Watson found DeAndre Hopkins for a 24-yard completion over the middle. With no timeouts left, the Texans raced to the line, Watson spiked the ball, and Fairbairn came out to try to win the game. Reich, having already screwed up once, decided to ice the kicker just as Fairbairn sailed one wide right. Icing the kicker in a rushed situation like this is always a stupid move, as it allows him to catch his breath and this situation proved to be no different. Given a second chance, Fairbairn nailed it as time expired and Houston won 37-34.
The game took 3:57 but I actually enjoyed every minute of it. It wasn't good football but it was sure entertaining and made the trip worthwhile.
Notes
From NFL.com: Texans WR Keke Coutee had the most receptions (11) by a WR making his NFL debut since 1970.
I did a bit of stadium chasing from the air as well. Below is a shot of Citi Field and the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, with the new Armstrong Stadium next to Ashe.
Then, after passing over Manhattan, we flew over Newark, where I was able to capture 3 stadiums in one shot: Red Bull Arena to the middle left, Prudential Center to the top right, and Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in the bottom right.
Next Up
A weekend in western New York as I will watch the Rochester Americans on Saturday and the Buffalo Bills host Tennessee on Sunday. Check back for recaps next week.
Best,
Sean
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