Texans Hand Bengals First Loss

The Texans were the perfect team to give the Bengals their first loss -- on their home field in a big Monday Night Football game, no less.

The Texans have a way of doing this to the Bengals -- especially when T.J. Yates is running the offense.

Yates took over in the third quarter after Brian Hoyer sustained a concussion, and he led Houston to a 10-6 victory by throwing the touchdown pass that knocked the Bengals out of the ranks of the NFL's unbeaten.

The Bengals (8-1) were trying to make NFL history and join New England and Carolina at 9-0; there has never been such a trio. Instead, a backup quarterback with a history of beating Cincinnati got in the way.

Yates beat the Bengals twice as a rookie in the 2011 season, including a first-round playoff win that was the Texans' first victory in the postseason. That experience helped Yates get through his impromptu performance Monday.

"It's a little nostalgic," said Yates, who went 5-of-11 for 69 yards. "I have a lot of good memories in Cincinnati."

And now, another one.

Cincinnati contained some of the NFL's top quarterbacks in getting to the best start in club history. Yates was something else -- and so was the Texans' defense, which also looked awfully familiar.

The Texans (4-5) made Andy Dalton look bad during first-round playoff wins over the Bengals in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. J.J. Watt returned an interception for a touchdown in that breakthrough playoff win in 2011.

The Texans were all over Dalton again Monday.

Thursday, November 19 Schedule (All Times Central)

Tennessee at Jacksonville, 7:25 p.m.

Sunday, November 22 Schedule (All Times Central)

Oakland at Detroit, noon

Indianapolis at Atlanta, noon

New York at Houston, noon

Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, noon

Denver at Chicago, noon

St. Louis at Baltimore, noon

Dallas at Miami, noon

Washington at Carolina, noon

Kansas City at San Diego, 3:05 p.m.

Green Bay at Minnesota, 3:25 p.m.

San Francisco at Seattle, 3:25 p.m.

Cincinnati at Arizona, 7:30 p.m.