Frustrated Fans By: Jim Gandolf

Frustrated fans while the NFL 

Officials messed up at Lucas oil Stadium  11/30/2025

By: Jim Gandolf 

WMA

Bonded & Assured 

Fan of any Indiana sports team. 

Author, and Writer 

IndyCar is the fastest racing! 

It was a frustrating day for Colts fans at Lucas Oil Stadium. While the Houston Texans won 20-16, the story of the game was arguably defined by a sequence of officiating decisions in the fourth quarter that many—including analysts and former players—believe "blew it" for Indianapolis.

Here is a breakdown of the key controversial calls and missed calls that are driving the outrage today:

1. The "Double Whammy" on the Texans' Go-Ahead Drive

The most critical sequence occurred early in the 4th quarter with the game tied 13-13. The Texans faced a daunting 3rd & 15, but two controversial officiating moments bailed them out:

 * The Missed Delay of Game: Before the snap, the play clock clearly hit 0:00. The back judge did not blow the whistle, allowing C.J. Stroud to snap the ball late. If called, this would have made it 3rd & 20.

 * The Phantom Pass Interference: On that very same play (which shouldn't have happened), Colts defensive back Kenny Moore II was flagged for defensive pass interference on receiver Xavier Hutchinson. Replays showed minimal contact that looked like standard hand-fighting.

   * The Reaction: Even former Texan J.J. Watt criticized the call on the broadcast, calling it "barely handfighting at best" and noting the "double hit" of the missed delay of game followed by the bad penalty.

   * The Impact: Instead of punting from deep in their own territory, the Texans were gifted a fresh set of downs and eventually scored the go-ahead touchdown.

2. The "Missed" Facemask on the Final Drive

Trailing 20-16 with under two minutes left, the Colts were driving to try and win the game. On a run by Jonathan Taylor, replays appeared to show a Texans defender (Calen Bullock) grasping Taylor's facemask/earhole to make the tackle.

 * The Call: No flag was thrown.

 * The Impact: A facemask penalty would have moved the Colts into the red zone with a fresh set of downs, drastically increasing their chances of a game-winning touchdown. Instead, the drive stalled, and the Colts turned it over on downs.

3. The "Good" Extra Point

After the Texans' go-ahead touchdown, kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn's extra point attempt looked like it might have sailed over the upright rather than through it.

 * The Call: The officials ruled it good. (You cannot make that up).

 * The Impact: This point forced the Colts to hunt for a touchdown on their final drive (down 20-16) rather than having the option to kick a field goal to tie (which would have been possible if the score was 19-16). Referee Clay Martin stated afterward that because the ball was above the upright, the call was not reviewable.

The Aftermath

Referee Clay Martin defended the crew in the post-game pool report, stating that the back judge has a "process" for checking the clock and ball that accounts for the delay of game no-call. However, that explanation has done little to quell the anger of fans who watched the Colts lose first place in the AFC South largely due to these swing moments.

NFL should do better here. Or does this infraction of major league mistakes that cost the Indianapolis Colts the game with no accountability to the major league mistakes from the NFL Referees and the visible effects of misconduct while selling commercials to gambling sites? Was this NFL game fixed, prove to the fans that it wasn’t? 

The UCc-1 (Universal commercial code) which is the government body overseeing all financial transactions through out the world, should find the NFL guilty of fixing games,  or an agency association with the NFL over here. Could set the matter to rest. 

There needs to be an investigation into this blatant accident of tragic events of officiating abuse, or misconduct. 

Jim Gandolf 

WMA

Bonded & Assured