Bengals vs. Texans: Score and Twitter Reaction for Saturday Night Football

The Houston Texans received an early Christmas gift from their former kicker, Randy Bullock, on Saturday.

The Texans beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, 12-10, to clinch the AFC South title, but Bullock could have won the game for the Bengals with a 43-yard field goal. However, he pushed it to the right and ended the defensive battle in disappointing fashion for the visitors.  

Houston reacted to the division crown that was possible because the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans on Saturday:

The Texans moved to 9-6 and an impressive 7-1 at home, while Cincinnati's disastrous season continued, as it fell to 5-9-1. 

Each team managed just one touchdown, but Alfred Blue's fourth-quarter score proved to be the difference. Blue was playing because the Texans announced running back Lamar Miller was inactive.

On the other side, the Bengals announced wide receiver A.J. Green, tight end Tyler Eifert and linebacker Vontaze Burfict were among the inactives, which led to 14 targets for wide receiver Cody Core.

Tom Savage threw for 176 yards and zero touchdowns for Houston, but he also avoided a critical turnover. Blue ran for 73 yards and the score, while DeAndre Hopkins led his team with 43 receiving yards.

Andy Dalton threw for 268 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and Brandon LaFell hauled in 130 receiving yards and an 86-yard score. Cincinnati ran for a mere 50 yards on 19 carries (2.6 per attempt) and didn't support the passing attack against Houston's stingy front seven.

The Texans sacked Dalton three times, while Cincinnati sacked Savage four times, per ESPN.com.

It was nothing but defense from the early going, as the two teams traded punts on six first-quarter possessions. Cincinnati's front seven dominated Houston's offensive line, and neither team consistently moved the ball with so many playmakers missing.

Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer questioned the holiday plans of those who tuned in:

It was more of the same in the second quarter, and Jordan Heck of Sporting News had some fun at the offenses' expense:

The first half ended with 12 punts on 13 possessions. Houston and Cincinnati combined for 10 first downs and went 5-of-17 on third-down attempts, per ESPN.com, which caused some concern from Trey Wingo of ESPN: "If things don't change, one of the punter's legs is going to fall off."

At least the two punters split the wear and tear. Cincinnati's Kevin Huber and Houston's Shane Lechler each punted six times in the opening two quarters.

The Bengals finally flashed some offense on the final possession of the first half, and Bullock drilled a 43-yard field goal to give them a 3-0 lead. Dalton directed the scoring drive with seven completions, and his 111 passing yards at intermission far outweighed Savage's 13.

Houston rewarded its fans with some actual offensive points on its first drive of the second half. 

Nick Novak capped an 11-play, 68-yard drive with a 25-yard field goal to tie the game. While the points were a welcome change for the Texans, they missed a chance for an elusive touchdown after they moved inside the 10-yard line.

The Texans got the ball back with a defensive stop and kept their newfound offensive momentum when Adam Jones was flagged for pass interference on 3rd-and-10. Savage found Akeem Hunt for 24 yards to climb inside Cincinnati's 10-yard line, but Houston again settled for a field goal.

It gave the home team a 6-3 lead late in the fourth quarter, which felt like enough cushion at the time given the strong defenses, as Sports Illustrated suggested:

"

The Texans take a commanding 6-3 lead. One quarter to go.

— SI NFL (@si_nfl) December 25, 2016"

Houston's defense then forced the game's first turnover when Quintin Demps intercepted Dalton on a pass that deflected off Tyler Boyd's hands, but the offense didn't take advantage.

The missed opportunity proved costly for the Texans, as Dalton hit LaFell on a quick-hitting throw, and the receiver blew past the defense for his 86-yard score. Jay Morrison of Cox Media Group said it was Cincinnati's first fourth-quarter touchdown since Week 8 against Washington, and it came at what appeared to be a devastating time for the Texans.

The NFL shared the first touchdown of the evening:

Suddenly an offensive shootout started, and Houston answered with a four-play touchdown drive of its own. Savage completed passes to Hopkins and Will Fuller and scrambled for 11 yards before Blue finished the job with a 24-yard scamper.

The Bengals blocked the extra point, and the teams traded defensive stops.

That gave the Bengals the opportunity to win in the final minutes, and Dalton found C.J. Uzomah for a fourth-down conversion. Cincinnati then moved into field-goal range behind Rex Burkhead's runs to set up the game-winner.

However, Bullock missed the 43-yard field goal to the right, and Houston clinched the division title and a spot in the playoffs.

Postgame Reaction

Cincinnati head coach called it "disappointing to get in position to win it and not do it," per Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official website.

Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye commented on Bullock, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, "I looked at him and I thought he would miss it."

Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston shared the reaction from Texans owner Bob McNair: 

The Texans passed along Jadeveon Clowney's response to the division title:

What's Next?

The Bengals are simply playing out the string and will finish the season at home against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Texans finish the regular season against the Titans in what is now a meaningless game because of Saturday's result. Had Houston lost, it would have been a winner-take-all showdown for the AFC South.