INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A golden opportunity to jump to the top of the AFC South ended in disappointment for the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, but a single play in the third quarter is getting much of the attention.

“It was just an interesting scenario that I have never seen in football,” said Daybreak Colts contributor Heather Lloyd in our weekly Monday conversation — on the heels of the team’s 23-20 loss to Houston.

Tired in Texas

Following two plays that forced quarterback Anthony Richardson to scramble, Richardson tapped his helmet, headed to the sideline, and Joe Flacco stepped in for one snap.

“Flacco came in, converted the down, and got Matt Gay in field goal position. Richardson wasn’t hurt, but needed a breather,” Lloyd said, then explained why Richardson’s move is bringing so much scrutiny. “So the 22-year old comes out. The 40-year-old comes in cold off the bench in a key moment.”

Within seconds of the swap, Lloyd posted her disbelief, then shared a similar sentiment from former Colts fan-favorite Pat McAfee:

After the game, Richardson offered a candid answer to a question about the substitution, acknowledging that he was tired. “That was a lot of running that I did right there, and I didn’t think I was going to be able to go that next play.”

Buckle Up

“Imagine a three hour rollercoaster ride,” Heather told us, as we widened our talk to the game as a whole. “I’m still feeling kind of woozy.”

She points to the return of Jonathan Taylor and DeForest Buckner as the best news of the day, giving the Colts their top players on both sides of the ball. But Indianapolis failed to seize on the aches and pains of the opponents.

“The Texans were missing a few of their star players and quite honestly, did not play their best game. They left the door open for the Colts again and again, but instead of capitalizing on it, the Colts made mistake after mistake until the final, painful seconds ran off the clock. Credit to the Colts defense, they kept the pressure on CJ Stroud and kept the game within reach. But in the most important game of the year, against the division leader – inconsistent play did the Colts in. In fact, I could argue that the only thing consistent about this team is their inconsistency.”

It gets tougher

“Remember how we talked about the Colts having some winnable games before they have to run the gauntlet?” Lloyd asked. “Well, welcome to the gauntlet!”

Indianapolis faces several tough matchups in the next several weeks, starting with Minnesota on the road in prime time, followed by the Bills, Jets, and Lions.

“The reality is, you play badly, you make mistakes, you beat yourself. This team isn’t good enough to beat themselves and their opponent, whoever that opponent is,” Heather said in closing.