INDIANAPOLIS — Colts star Jonathan Taylor headed to the locker room near the end of the third quarter with what was initially reported as a heel injury by the team. The Colts then announced he was doubtful to return with an ankle injury.

Taylor, however, returned to the field with 6:20 to play in the fourth quarter and the Colts trailing 23-17. He was dropped for a 1-yard loss on his first run.

Taylor had flipped the momentum of the game, tearing through Houston’s defense for 165 yards and a game-tying 49-yard touchdown on 21 carries, helping Indianapolis get back into a game the Texans dominated in the first half.

But without Taylor and right tackle Braden Smith, who left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury, the Indianapolis running game faces a tall task in finishing out the game.

Colts score: Colts, Texans battle in second half with a playoff berth on the line

Taylor’s primary backup, Zack Moss, returned to the lineup after missing the past two games with a forearm injury, and he has 30 yards on six carries, but Moss does not have Taylor’s explosiveness, and Indianapolis has struggled to throw the ball.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts vs. Texans: Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (doubtful, ankle) returns