Post-Game Recap: Texans 13, Bengals 9

It may have not been the prettiest win, but the Texans leave Cincinnati with their first victory of the season after defeating the Bengals 13-9.

The action was less than abundant during the first half with both teams struggling. The Texans tried to move the ball early through Lamar Miller and D’Onta Foreman on the ground, but the gains were minimal and the Texans managed only a field goal early. Both offensive lines continued their poor run with both QBs getting pressured multiple times throughout the first half. Things were so bad that midway through the second quarter, the game had more punts than first downs. That all changed when, with 50 seconds remaining in the half, Deshaun Watson broke from the pocket and wove his way through the Bengals’ defense for a 49 yard touchdown run to put the Texans ahead. It turned out to be a lead they would never relinquish.

The second half saw both teams going back and forth on offense with neither making much progress. It took until late in the fourth quarter for the Texans to string together a series of passes from Watson to DeAndre Hopkins to move the ball down the field, finally allowing Texans rookie kicker Kai’imi Fairbairn to nail a 42 yard field goal that put the Texans four points ahead with the Bengals having only two minutes left to drive down the field for a TD. Houston’s defense held strong and won the game, thanks to some crucial Eddie Pleasant tackles to stop the Bengals from getting any progress.

The Texans paid a price for their victory. Starting cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Kevin Johnson left the game with injuries. It wasn’t perfect and came at a high cost for a team already dealing with a ton of injuries, but a win is a win. Now the Texans will turn their gaze to the Patriots with a 1-1 record.

What did you make of the Texans’ performance? Let all of your thoughts from tonight’s game fly freely in the comments below.