It took the underdog Houston Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals’ forgetting how to be the offensive mainstay they’ve been for much of the season, for the Bengals to get knocked off their undefeated perch. The Bengals put together a subpar offensive performance and Houston used their defense and their star receiver, Deandre Hopkins to hold off the Bengals 10-6 at Paul Brown Stadium.
Quarterback Andy Dalton was money late in the fourth quarter. But alas, fate and a Texans strong safety combined to render Dalton’s late-game heroics irrelevant. Dalton went 22 of 38 for 197 yards, o touchdowns and 1 pick for the night.
It took a forced fumble by Texans strong safety Quintin Demps (6 tackles and 1 forced fumble) near the tail end of the game, for the Texans to really have this game in the bag. That was Demps’ second forced fumble of his career since he turned the trick on November 9, 2014, when the Texans got pasted by the Seattle Seahawks 38-17. But this time a forced fumble by Demps helped his team win the game. Good for him.
This was a defense dominated game and it was ironic that a defensive play helped end the game.
Meanwhile, this non-division game for both teams, was one of the marquee games of Week 10. And that was mainly because of the Bengals (8-1 overall, 3-0 AFC North) being undefeated before this game started.
The Texans (4-5 overall, 2-1 AFC South) on the other hand, had no business winning this game. Why? Because they lost their starting quarterback Brian Hoyer (12 of 22 for 122 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 pick) to a possible concussion in the third quarter. That instance led to the Texans inserting their number two quarterback in T.J. Yates. Plus, this game was on the road in freezing temperatures.
Yates who was 5 for 11 for 69 yards and 1 touchdown pass, was decent in this game and he also had the help of his defense to buttress whatever he did right or did wrong. Players like superstar defensive end J.J. Watt (2 tackles including a big sack in the fourth quarter) and cornerback Jonathan Joseph (4 tackles and a highlight-reel worthy interception in the third quarter) were major cogs in the Texans’ stout defensive performance tonight.
After three field goals were converted by both teams, two by Bengals placekicker Mike Nugent and one by the Texans’ Nick Novak, in the fourth quarter somebody finally scored a touchdown.
That somebody was Hopkins (5 catches for 57 yards and 1 score). Early in the fourth quarter and on 2nd and 10 from the CIN 22, Yates took the snap from center Ben Jones, then the quarterback looked to his left. There, he let go of a pass that floated high in the air and into the hands of Hopkins who had to deal with blanket coverage from Bengals cornerback Adam Jones, stay in bounds, AND secure the pass with one hand.
When that play happened and how marvelous a catch it was, it was evident that the Texans were on their way to winning this game. With 14:20 left in the game the Texans took a 10-6 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.
Near the 4:30 mark of the fourth quarter and on 3rd and 17 from the HOU 42, the Bengals defense came up with a huge stop. On that play, backup running back Jonathan Grimes carried forward for 7 yards with Bengals outside linebacker Emmanuel Lamur getting ahold of the back’s legs near the HOU 49 to force a 4th and 10 punt.
On the ensuing drive, the Bengals on 4th and 6 from the HOU 33, received a boost when wide receiver A.J. Green (5 catches for 67 yards) caught Dalton’s pass at the HOU 23 for a 10 yard gain. But hold it! Houston rookie cornerback Kevin Johnson grabbed Green around the waist and a few seconds later, Demps came over and punched the ball out of Green’s hands as the receiver was on his way to the ground and within the grasp of Johnson. Demps ended up falling on the rolling ball at the HOU 22. A few moments later, the officials ruled it was a fumble and that the Texans recovered the fumble.
Then Yates came in for two kneel downs and the game was over and so was the Bengals’ undefeated record.
