Johnathan Joseph broke the game open for the Texans on Sunday.

Houston was up 10-3 early in the second quarter when Joseph picked off a Kevin Hogan pass intended for Duke Johnson and returned it 82 yards for a touchdown. It tied him with Kareem Jackson and Dunta Robinson for the most interceptions (13) in team history. He would set the record later in the quarter when he picked Hogan off again.

"I don't know why the guy kept throwing," defensive end Jadeveon Clowney said. "I don't think he knew better. The guy's been in the League what, 12, 13 years? Not many people throw at him. But the guy felt like he had to try him, and he made him pay. Twice."

Joseph also broke up another pass, and stuffed a short pass to David Njoku for a 3-yard loss. It was a difference-making day for the veteran corner, who joked about the long run he had during the interception return.

"I tried to gauge myself a little bit," Joseph said. "I knew we had to come back out on defense, but with the fans going crazy, teammates going crazy, it wore me down a little bit."

The last time he picked off a pair of passes in a game, Joseph was a Bengal. He snared a pair of Ryan Fitzpatrick passes in a 49-31 loss to the Bills. Safety Andre Hal said Joseph had a premonition about the pick-6.

"On the play he picked off, he told me, 'Dre: I'm about to pick it,'" Hal said. "So I got over top of him and he just jumped the route and picked it. He's seen everything so it's kind of hard to beat guys like that."

The two interceptions went a long way in the clamping down by the Texans defense. Dylan Cole added one later in the game, and the Texans won the turnover margin 3 to1.

"J-Joe had a lot of fun," linebacker Benardrick McKinney said. "Me and him laughed about the two picks he got. I'm very proud of him for making the play."

The two interceptions were the first of the season for Joseph, and the 28th of his 12-year NFL career. He and the Texans head into the bye week at 3-3, and will face the Seahawks in Seattle when they return to action on October 29.