Matt Ammendola, who was elevated from the Texans practice squad earlier this week, drilled a 45-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter to give Houston the 10-7 lead at the half.
The field goal capped a 61-yard scoring drive, which took six plays and spanned 2:30 and started at the Texans 12-yard line.
A key third-down conversion came with one minute remaining as C.J. Stroud hit Noah Brown for a 29-yard completion on a third and 13 from the Texans 42 and put them in field goal range at the Bengals 29 yard line. Earlier on the same drive, Stroud hit Brown for a pickup of 28 yards. Brown finished the first half with four catches for 96 yards to lead all Texans receivers.
On the ensuing kickoff, Ammendola kicked it short of the endzone, forcing Bengals' return man Trenton Irwin to come out and take it. Irwin didn't go far as Dare Ogunbowale lowered the boom and laid a massive hit to stop Irwin in his tracks at the eight-yard-line and force the Bengals to kneel out the half.
