Dec. 11, 2011 - It was one of the biggest games of the franchise's young history.
The Texans travelled to Cincinnati. Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates went from third-string to starter after injuries knocked out Matt Schaub and Matt Leinert over the course of the season. With his family high up in the nosebleeds watching, Yates led the offense on two 80-plus yard drives in the fourth quarter, including a six-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Walter with two seconds remaining.
The Texans clinched a 20-19 comeback over the Bengals as well as their first division title in team history. Meanwhile, Yates earned AFC Player of the Week honors for his performance.
"Back in my rookie year, it was just a whirlwind," Yates said. "It's kind of funny because when we went up there to clinch the first time, I didn't even really realize the ramifications of the game or what was on the line. I was so busy trying to learn the game plan and getting ready to play. I didn't really realize how much it meant to everybody until after the game when everyone in the organization was so happy. It was a good time for the organization, the team, the coaches and everybody at that time."
