The Texans handed Cincinnati its first loss of the season, defeating the Bengals 10-6 in a primetime game on the road.
It was a Monday Night Football matchup that almost seemed too scripted to be true but had a storybook ending. There was deja vu everywhere.
T.J. Yates entered the game late in the third quarter and led the team on a touchdown drive in the same endzone he connected with Kevin Walter in 2011.
Johnathan Joseph picked off Andy Dalton, just like he did in his previous three meetings against his former team.
The Texans defense held the top-scoring Bengals offense to just two field goals through two quarters and scoreless in the second half. Dalton, ranked second in the league in passer rating (111.0) going into Monday night's game, finished 22-of-38 for 197 yards and one interception.
The Bengals were ahead of Houston 6-3 at halftime but the second half was dominated by the Texans defense. Romeo Crennel's unit added two takeaways, including one to seal the win.
With 10:09 left in the third quarter, Joseph intercepted Dalton's pass, intended for Marvin Jones. Joseph juggled and made a miraculous catch. The Texans offense regained possession at the Houston 29-yard line.
Brian Hoyer exited the game after the ensuing offensive series and headed to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion. Hoyer was 12-of-22 for 123 yards and one interception, which was on a Hail Mary pass to end the first half.
Enter Yates.
Yates promptly led the Texans on a nine-play, 79-yard drive that ended in a 22-yard touchdown pass to Hopkins. The catch, which will likely be seen on a loop on ESPN in the coming days, gave Houston its first lead of the game. Hopkins led the receivers with five catches for 57 yards and that touchdown.
The Bengals drove down the field with less than one minute remaining, but safety Quintin Demps forced a fumble on a catch by A.J. Green. Demps also recovered the fumble and Houston took over at the 22-yard line. The Texans ended the game in victory formation. Houston improves to 4-5 on the season and now have a two-game home stretch against the Jets and the Saints.
Check out the action from the Texans at Bengals Monday Night Football matchup.
