Two missed field goals by Houston Texans kicker Kris Brown over his team's last two games have helped prevent the eighth-year franchise from taking a meaningful step forward in the playoff race.

On Sunday, when Houston seeks to end its recent run of frustration by facing the Indianapolis Colts for the second time in four weeks, the Texans will try to take their fate out of Brown's hands.

Brown, who had carved out a reputation as an ultra-reliable veteran, including seven-plus years of service with the Texans since the franchise first took the field in 2002, has been fitted for a pair of goat horns as Houston has dropped from 5-3 to 5-5.

In a 20-17 loss to the Colts in Week 9, Brown missed a 42-yard field goal as time expired, preventing Houston from forcing overtime and dropping the team to 0-8 all-time in Indianapolis.

Then, in a critical matchup with another division rival, the Tennessee Titans, this past Monday, Brown found himself in a near-identical situation, this time watching as his 49-yard try sailed wide left in the final minute of another 20-17 defeat.

Texans head coach Gary Kubiak publicly supported Brown this week, but it's safe to say that the kicker's next big miss in a critical situation could prompt his exit out of town.

Another loss for Houston, which is attempting to finish with a winning record and make the postseason for the first time in its history, could prove fatal to the team's playoff prospects. The Texans enter Week 12 in a glut of five- and six-win AFC wild card contenders, and with three of its final five games on the road, as well as a season finale with the Patriots on the horizon, the team's margin for error is slim.

The same cannot be said for the Colts, who will wrap up the AFC South title with a win and a Jacksonville Jaguars loss at San Francisco on Sunday. Indianapolis moved to 10-0 for the first time since 2005 by outlasting the Baltimore Ravens, 17-15, on the road last week.

A 299-yard passing day from Peyton Manning and a smattering of key defensive plays, most notably an interception by linebacker Gary Brackett that helped snuff out a deep Ravens drive in the final minutes, helped Indy polish off its 19th consecutive regular season win dating back to last season.

The 19-game run is the second-longest in NFL history, behind only the 21 consecutive regular season contests won by the New England Patriots from 2006-08.

SERIES HISTORY

The Colts are 14-1 all-time against the Texans, with the only loss a 27-24 result at Reliant Stadium in 2006. Indianapolis extended its winning streak in the series to five games with a 20-17 home win over Houston in Week 9. The Colts were 31-27 winners at Reliant Stadium last season, becoming the first team in NFL history to erase a 17-point deficit with less than four minutes to play to win in regulation.

Kubiak is 1-6 against the Colts in his career, while Indy's Jim Caldwell is 1-0 against both Kubiak and Houston as a head coach.

WHEN THE COLTS HAVE THE BALL

Seeking to continue his MVP-worthy 2009 performance on Sunday will be Manning (21 TD, 9 INT), who apart from two uncharacteristic interceptions in Baltimore last week was a crisp 22-of-29 for 299 yards and a touchdown. In addition to NFL receiving yards leader Reggie Wayne (76 receptions, 8 TD), who continued a certain Pro Bowl season with seven catches for 89 yards, Manning leaned heavily on second-year wideout Pierre Garcon (32 receptions, 3 TD) and formerly unknown tight end Tom Santi. Garcon caught six balls for 108 yards in the first 100- yard outing of his career, while the second-year-man Santi - capitalizing on the Ravens' preoccupation with Dallas Clark (65 receptions, 4 TD) - made his first six catches of the year count for 80 yards as the team used two-tight end sets on multiple occasions. Clark's only grab of the game was a three-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter, and rookie Austin Collie (39 receptions, 4 TD) also had a quiet day with one reception for 12 yards. Running back Joseph Addai (514 rushing yards, 37 receptions, 10 TD) added value with 19 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown, the sixth time in the last seven games he has scored. Manning leads the NFL in passing yards (3171), and Indianapolis is No. 1 in the league in passing offense (313.5 yards per game), completion percentage (69.7), and third-down conversion percentage (50.4).