After hardly seeing the field all year, the Indianapolis Colts called Tyler Goodson’s number with their season on the line.
Down 23-17 late in Saturday’s game against the Houston Texans, the Colts needed to convert a 4th-and-1 to extend their drive in hopes of taking the lead and clinching a playoff berth. Goodson, who had six catches on 50 snaps in 2023, dropped an off-target pass from Gardner Minshew.
An emotional Goodson responded to the costly miscue after the game.
“Honestly, I was just feeling like a failure,” Goodson said, per WISH-TV’s Angela Moryan. “I know I’m not a failure … But me just being me, I’m always hard on myself. I know I could have made that play, and that play should have been made.”
#Colts running back Tyler Goodson puts the failed fourth-down conversion attempt all on himself.
“It touched my hands.”@WISH_TV #Colts #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/qLC29CPu0n
— Angela Moryan (@SidelineStormer) January 7, 2024
While Goodson said he received support from his teammates, he theorized that his parents are “probably the only people that are loving me right now.”
Goodson wouldn’t deflect any blame to Minshew, telling reporters he should have caught it because it “touched my hands.” The rookie running back is eager to extend his story beyond the one unfortunate play.
“This doesn’t define me as a player,” Goodson declared, via ESPN’s Stephen Holder. “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.”
A catch would have given Indianapolis a first down inside the red zone with approximately one minute remaining, but no game boils down to a single play. Indianapolis converted just one of 11 third-down conversions, lost a fumble, and missed a field goal during the elimination loss.
“I just got to go back to the drawing board,” Goodson said. “Keep working on my craft, and come back next year even better.”