On Texans
Despite red-zone inefficiency, offense does just enough as defense delivers standout performance
McClain: Key players deliver in must-win game for Texans.
If the Texans went into overtime for every game, they might be undefeated.
Ka’imi Fairbairn’s fourth field goal — a 36-yarder with 1:50 left in overtime — gave the Texans a 19-16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night at NRG Stadium.
The victory over the Cowboys followed the previous overtime conquest of Indianapolis, elevating the Texans to 2-3 and moving them closer to Tennessee, Jacksonville and Indianapolis — AFC South rivals who lost this weekend.
What a performance by quarterback Deshaun Watson and receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Watson was bashed all over the field by the Cowboys, but he kept coming back and finished 33-of-44 passing for 375 yards and a touchdown. He had one interception.
After the Texans stopped the Cowboys on the first series of overtime, Watson took them 72 yards in eight plays. The big play was his pass over the middle to Hopkins, who didn’t stop until he had a 49-yard gain to the Dallas 27. He finished with nine catches for 151 yards.
The Texans played outstanding defense, allowing only one touchdown. They contained quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott to set up Watson and the offense.
This was a must-win situation. With Buffalo coming to NRG Stadium next week, the Texans have a chance to be 3-3 when they go to Jacksonville.
If the Texans had lost this game, the defeat would have been blamed on their continued incompetence in the red zone. They reached the Cowboys’ 2-, 1-, 3- and 1-yard lines and came away with three Fairbairn field goals that were chip shots rather than the touchdowns they needed desperately.
Coach Bill O’Brien calls the plays and, except for Watson’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Keke Coutee on a shovel pass, the Texans treated the red zone like quicksand.
Watson was obliterated by the Cowboys’ pass rush. He was knocked down so many times that it is amazing he continued to get up. He inspired his teammates to win a game they so desperately needed.
After falling behind 6-0 and allowing field goals on the Cowboys’ first two series, the defense threw a net over Dallas’ offense the rest of the first half.
The Texans retaliated with Watson’s shovel pass to Coutee that worked to perfection and gave them a 7-6 lead.
The next two times the Texans got the ball, they moved it against the Cowboys’ defense and reached the 2- and 1-yard lines and came away with one 20-yard Fairbairn field goal.
In the first half, the Texans had the ball four times. They crossed midfield all four times. They reached the red zone three times.
Leading 7-6 and needing a touchdown, Watson took them from their 19 to the Dallas 6 and a first down. They had thirdand-goal at the 2, and Watson threw an incomplete pass, bringing on Fairbairn for the chip shot that gave them a 10-6 advantage.
After Kareem Jackson intercepted Prescott, Watson guided them from their 31 to a first down at the Dallas 9.
Watson connected on four consecutive passes, including two to Ryan Griffin, one to Alfred Blue and one to Hopkins for a first down at the 9.
After two incompletions, Watson found Hopkins over the middle near the goal line. Hopkins caught the ball just outside the end zone, where he was drilled by safety Jeff Heath to prevent the touchdown.
On fourth-and-goal and needing only a half yard for the touchdown, Watson lined up in the shotgun rather than under center, so the Cowboys didn’t have to worry about a sneak. He was sacked by linebacker Jaylon Smith on fourth down, and the Cowboys breathed a collective sigh of relief as they headed to the dressing room for halftime.
The Texans got the ball first in the second half. Watson threw a pass to Hopkins that was for minus-1 yard, and the ball was stripped by cornerback Anthony Brown and recovered by cornerback Jourdan Lewis, giving the Cowboys the ball at the Texans’ 16.
The Cowboys took advantage of the opportunity when Prescott threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Allen Hurns for a 13-10 lead.
When the Texans got the ball again, they got one first down and then had to punt. Momentum had shifted into the Cowboys’ favor.
Then it shifted right back to the Texans when Johnathan Joseph made another splendid play, breaking up a pass that Justin Reid intercepted and returned 6 yards to the Dallas 29.
With a chance for a reprieve, the Texans reached the red zone again. Watson found Griffin for completions of 11 and 13 yards and a first down at the Dallas 4.
Once again, the Texans had to settle for a field goal that was shorter than an extra point — 21 yards by Fairbairn to make it 13-13 score with 5:02 left in the third quarter.
The truth is the Cowboys’ defense was terrific in the red zone. The Texans’ defense was excellent, too.
In the fourth quarter, the Texans drove from their 40 to first-and-goal at the 1 when Byron Jones was called for a 27yard pass-interference penalty on Hopkins in the end zone.
Surely, first-and-goal at the 1 would end their red-zone woes, right? Wrong.
Blue was stuffed on first down. Watson lined up under center and was stuffed on a sneak. He threw incomplete on third down, and Fairbairn kicked a 19-yard field goal for a 16-13 lead with 8:31 left in the game.
Thanks to Prescott’s 44-yard pass to Austin to the Texans’ 31, the Cowboys were able to tie it on Brett Maher’s 48-yard field goal with 5:39 remaining.
The Texans had the ball two more times in regulation but didn’t get within sniffing distance of the red zone. On their last series, Watson was hit by Smith and intercepted by Woods, but a Hail Mary on the last play was knocked down, setting them up for another overtime victory.