Four and out: Surprises from the NFL in Week 10
By Dani Bostick
2. The Houston Texans beat the Cincinnati Bengals
If you missed Monday Night Football, this is not a joke. The Houston Texans won their fourth game against the previously undefeated Cincinnati Bengals.
The 10-6 victory at home was not easy. Several times, it appeared the Texans would somehow manage to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. Instead, the Bengals, famous for choking in the off-season, couldn’t take advantage of the Texans missteps and ended up with their first loss of the season. Bengals receiver A.J. Green thwarted any chances of a victory by fumbling the ball with 40 seconds left in the game. (The Texans have Quintin Demps to thank for that turnover.)
The Texans defense had an extraordinary game, sacking Bengals quarterback Andy “Don’t Call me Red Ryder BB Gun” Dalton three times and limiting him to just 187 yards.
The Texan’s offense was also relatively unproductive, but the team had a bit of good karma on their side. Newly-signed backup quarterback T.J. Yates stepped in during the third quarter when Brian Hoyer left the game with a concussion. T.J. Yates was undefeated against the Bengals as he took to the field, having beaten the team twice in 2011, his rookie season. Monday’s victory makes him 3-0 against the Bengals.
The victory propelled the Texans up five spots in NFL.com’s Week 11 Power Rankings and caused the Bengals to slide down a spot to No. 3.
Next: 1. The Green Bay Packers lost to the Detroit Lions at home