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

To most teams, T.J. Yates is just a journeyman quarterback. To the Cincinnati Bengals, he is a nightmare.

Yates ended the Bengals' season in the 2012 playoffs and finished their dreams of finishing 2015 with an undefeated record Monday night during the Houston Texans' 10-6 victory. Yates entered the game late in the third quarter for an injured Brian Hoyer and proceeded to find DeAndre Hopkins for the contest's lone touchdown on a 22-yard strike. 

Bleacher Report reacted to Houston's victory:    

The Bengals defense allowed that one score, but it was far from the problem Monday. Cincinnati's offense managed a meager 256 yards and turned it over twice, including a fumble by wide receiver A.J. Green in the final minute to end a potential game-winning drive. ESPN Stats & Info underscored the team's historical problems on Monday Night Football:

Many saw Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton as an MVP candidate before Monday, but Houston held him to 197 passing yards and an interception. Superstar defensive end J.J. Watt was pleased with the result, per Sports Illustrated:

"

J.J. Watt: "Our goal was to come out here and make the Red Rifle look like a Red Ryder BB gun."

— SI NFL (@si_nfl) November 17, 2015"

While the Bengals are still 8-1 and in prime position for a postseason berth and possibly a first-round bye, Derek Schultz of Fox Sports 97.5 Indianapolis was not impressed with Monday's showing:  

"

There is a "bad loss", and then there is "scoring six points at home against an AFC South team".

— Derek Schultz (@Schultz975) November 17, 2015"

As to be expected given the final score, both offenses sputtered in the opening quarter, although the Bengals took an early 3-0 lead off a 42-yard Mike Nugent field goal. ESPN Stats & Info suggested the deficit was business as usual for the Texans:

The second quarter was no more entertaining for fans of offensive football. The teams traded field goals, and the Bengals took a 6-3 lead into the locker rooms. The NFL Network acknowledged the lack of any legitimate offensive attack from either side:

Houston had only five first downs in the first 30 minutes, and Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle had an interesting game plan:

At least the fans had something to entertain them at halftime, as ESPN Monday Night shared:

"

IT'S A MONKEY RIDING A DOG! https://t.co/21jRqB8uFI

— ESPN Monday Night (@ESPNMondayNight) November 17, 2015"

The theme of defense continued when the Bengals stopped Houston to start the third quarter and took over with an opportunity to extend the lead. However, cornerback Johnathan Joseph picked off Dalton on a deep ball with 10:20 remaining. Jay Morrison of Cox Media Group recognized the former Bengal has been a thorn in the quarterback's side since he left town:

Around the NFL pointed out Dalton was far from the dominant force who had 18 touchdowns and four picks on the season coming into Monday's contest:

Houston couldn't do anything with the turnover, and ESPN Stats & Info described the offensive ineptitude after yet another punt:

The Texans got the ball back near the end of the third quarter, and Yates replaced Brian Hoyer because the starter was being evaluated for a potential concussion. While a backup quarterback seemed like the last thing Houston needed in the back-and-forth defensive battle, Yates moved the offense into Cincinnati territory at the start of the fourth quarter.

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle realized it wouldn't be the first time the North Carolina product got the better of the Bengals:

Yates haunted Cincinnati again when he finished the drive with the 22-yard touchdown pass to Hopkins. Yates got credit for the touchdown toss, but it was Hopkins who made an incredible one-handed catch in the corner of the end zone and drew this response from Will Brinson of CBS Sports:

The NFL shared the highlight:

Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated commented on the uphill challenge facing the undefeated Bengals:

The teams traded punts in the middle of the fourth quarter, and the frustration was evident in Paul Brown Stadium. The fans started booing, and Sports Illustrated reacted with Cincinnati's perfect 8-0 record in mind:

"

Boobirds out in Cincinnati, just as they were in Denver and Seattle yesterday. Just imagine how fans of the bad teams feel.

— SI NFL (@si_nfl) November 17, 2015"

Houston's defense continued to stifle Dalton and the Bengals' attack, and Cincinnati found itself without the ball and facing a 10-6 deficit with five minutes remaining. NFL Network highlighted just how much of a struggle it was for the Cincinnati offense:

The Bengals defense held, but Tyler Eifert dropped another pass to open up the critical drive with around three minutes left. ESPN Monday Night noted it was a strange performance from the breakout tight end:

"

Tyler Eifert had 3 drops the entire season coming into the game. He has 3 tonight.

— ESPN Monday Night (@ESPNMondayNight) November 17, 2015"

However, Dalton connected with Green on a 3rd-and-18 to keep hope alive, and the Bengals drove deep into Houston territory. Green's spotlight ran out quickly, though, when he fumbled after a catch on a fourth-down conversion inside the Houston 25-yard line.

It was a confusing play with Green and the defenders battling for possession and even a question of whether he caught the ball in the first place or if he was down, but the Texans summed up the most important part:

Houston took a knee from there, and Cincinnati's perfect record was suddenly a thing of the past.

What's Next?

The immediate road doesn't get much easier for the Bengals.

Next up is a trip to the 7-2 Arizona Cardinals in what promises to be one of their most difficult games of the season. However, if Cincinnati finds a way to get past that Nov. 22 game with a win, it faces the St. Louis Rams, the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers in its following games.

Those teams are a combined 9-19 and represent a chance for the Bengals to put Monday's loss in the rearview mirror in the race for a first-round bye.

As for the 4-5 Texans, they are tied with the Indianapolis Colts atop the lackluster AFC South, and Andrew Luck is dealing with an injury. The opportunity for a playoff berth is right in front of this team after a 1-4 start.

Houston faces difficult opponents in its next four games against the New York Jets, the New Orleans Saints, the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots, but it finishes with a three-game stretch against each team in the division (the Colts, the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars). If the Texans can beat the previously undefeated Bengals on the road, they can emerge from that slate with a division crown.

Postgame Reaction

Conversation naturally turned to the end of the Bengals’ undefeated run in the aftermath, and Watt commented on his team’s accomplishment, per NFL Network: “It's an incredible feeling when you do something that basically everybody tells you you can't do.”

Watt also remembered the last time Yates beat the Bengals on the big stage, per Drew Dougherty of Texans TV: “It feels like it’s 2011.”

Yates had a simple strategy on that game-winning touchdown drive, per NFL Network: “If all else fails, throw it up to Hop.”

Hopkins reflected on his touchdown, per the Texans: “I knew I had to stay inbounds [and] make a play for my team. I knew the team needed a big play. A lot of excitement going through me.”

As for the Bengals, Dalton commented on Watt’s Red Rifle postgame remarks directed toward him, per Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer: “Disappointing for one of best players in this league to come out and say something like that.”

Dalton also said, “It shows what he’s about, which is disappointing,” per Matt Edwards of NBC Cincinnati.

In terms of on-field developments, cornerback Adam Jones was willing to take the blame for the loss after he allowed the one touchdown to Hopkins, per John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer: “I’m so pissed. I’ve got to make that play.”

Ironically, it was the 4-5 team excited about its future and not the 8-1 team after the game. Houston safety Quintin Demps, who forced the fumble on Green during Cincinnati’s final drive, said, “It’s a new season for us. We’re starting off right,” per Tania Ganguli of ESPN NFL Nation.

The Texans and the Colts are tied atop the AFC South. Let that new season begin.