Derek Stingley, Jr. was a game-changing force in Sunday's win over Miami.
The third-year cornerback picked off a pair of Tua Tagavailoa passes in the fourth quarter, notched two tackles for loss, and played a big role in limiting Dolphins' All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill to just two receptions for 36 yards.
But it was his final play of regulation, an acrobatic interception head coach DeMeco Ryans described as a "big-time play", that sealed the victory for the Texans.
"Not a lot of players can do that," Ryans said. "I know all the games aren't over, but I think he's very deserving of player of the week. There's not a better play I've seen than that play he made today."
After a Texans punt, Tagavailoa and the Dolphins were in a 1st-and-10 situation at their own 23-yard line, trailing 20-12, with 1:44 remaining in regulation. The Dolphins' signal-caller threw deep up the right sideline to Hill, but Stingley corralled the pass and landed in bounds at the Texans' 49-yard line. Houston's C.J. Stroud was able to kneel three times in victory formation, and the Texans moved to 9-5 in 2024.
That interception was the fifth of the season for Stingley, and his third this month.
"'Sting is one of a kind," Stroud said. "His ball skills and how he can play the ball in the air is the best I've ever seen in my life."
It's the second time in Stingley's career he's logged multiple picks in a game, and he joined Andre Hal as the only Texans in franchise history to have two such games. Stingley's also the only NFL player with five or more interceptions in each of the last two seasons.
Additionally, Stingley became just the seventh player in league history to tally a pair of picks and two tackles for loss in the same game. He's the only cornerback in NFL history to do so, as well.
