FIRST QUARTER
The Houston Texans defense forced a three-and-out on the opening drive. Tank Dell fielded the punt return near mid-field and the Texans offense began their first series at the Atlanta 47-yard line.
Dameon Pierce started the drive with a five-yard run. C.J. Stroud threw a 14-yard pass to TE Dalton Schultz, followed by a six-yard pass to John Metchie III. The Texans came up short on third-and-1. Ka'imi Fairbairn's 38-yard field goal gave Houston an early 3-0 lead.
Desmond Ridder began his second series with a 13-yard pass to TE Jonnu Smith. A trick play reverse had WR Drake London throwing a pass to Smith for a 22-yard gain and moved the Falcons into Houston territory. Robinson added a 13-yard run and three plays later, Ridder scored on a seven-yard touchdown run. The Falcons took a 7-3 lead with 6:48 left in the first quarter.
On the Texans' third offensive series, Dell caught a deep pass for 22 yards. Two plays later, Stroud found Nico Collins for a 25-yard catch to get Houston to the Atlanta 25-yard line.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: Texans 3, Falcons 7
SECOND QUARTER
Fairbairn added a 43-yard field goal to cap off a seven-play, 49-yard drive. The Texans trailed 7-6 with 14:10 left in the second quarter.
The Texans defense forced a three-and-out on the Falcons next possession. Jalen Pitre broke up pass to TE Kyle Pitts on third down. Houston didn't allow a scoring drive for the Falcons in the second quarter.
With 1:45 remaining, Stroud and the offense had one final possession that began at their own 11-yard line. On third-and-10, Dell caught a 29-yard pass to extend the drive and move the ball to the Atlanta 29-yard line. Stroud completed back-to-back passes to Collins for a gain of seven yards each. With six seconds remaining, Fairbairn made his third field goal of the day, a 28-yard kick. The Texans regained the lead heading into halftime.
END OF SECOND QUARTER: Texans 9, Falcons 7
THIRD QUARTER
The Texans defense forced turnovers on the first two Falcons possessions of the second half.
The first takeaway resulted when DT Khalil Davis forced a fumble on RB Bijan Robinson. Rookie DL Dylan Horton recovered for the Texans who took over at the Atlanta 30-yard line. Four plays later, Fairbairn added his fourth field goal of the day, a 42-yarder, and the Texans took a 12-7 lead with 9:35 left in the third quarter.
As Ridder and the Falcons were driving in Texans territory, Grayland Arnold forced a fumble on Jonnu Smith. Pitre recovered the ball and added a 22-yard return to the Houston 30-yard line. The Texans were unable to convert the second turnover into points. Stroud's pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage on third down, ending the drive.
Ridder and the Falcons offense ended the quarter with a third-and-1 at the Houston 37-yard line.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: Texans 12, Falcons 7
FOURTH QUARTER
The Falcons converted their third-and-1 with a run by Tyler Allgeier. Ridder threw a short pass to Robinson for a six-yard touchdown to cap off a 13-play, 74-yard drive. The Falcons went for two and succeeded. Ridder's pass to Allgeier gave the Falcons a three-point lead. The Texans trailed 15-12 with 12:12 left in the fourth quarter.
On the next possession, Ridder led another drive into red-zone territory but the Texans defense came up with a big stop. Atlanta settled for its first field goal of the day, taking an 18-12 lead with 6:57 left in the game.
Down one score, Stroud and the offense marched down the field looking to score their first touchdown of the day. Pierce started the drive with a 13-yard run and a 16-yard catch-and-run two plays later. Stroud scrambled for a first down on third-and-1 to extend the drive. Houston moved into redzone territory after a big 12-yard catch by Robert Woods. On third-and-nine, Stroud found TE Dalton Schultz for an 18-yard touchdown. Fairbairn's extra-point attempt gave Houston a 19-18 lead with 1:49 left. The 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive lasted 5:08.
With three timeouts remaining, the Falcons launched a comeback of their own. Ridder's 23-yard pass to London had Atlanta at the Texans 26-yard line and in field-goal range. With just one second remaining, Younghoe Koo kicked the game-winning 37-yard field goal. With the loss, the Texans fall to 2-3 on the season and will host the New Orleans Saints in Week 6.
FINAL SCORE: Texans 19, Falcons 21
