Texans hand Bengals first loss

Associated Press

CINCINNATI

It figures that T.J. Yates and the Texans would be the ones to finally knock off the Bengals.

Yates took over after Brian Hoyer sustained a concussion on Monday night and rallied Houston to a 10-6 victory over Cincinnati, sending the Bengals their first loss — on their home field no less.

The Bengals (8-1) were trying to make NFL history and join New England and Carolina at 9-0 — there’s never been such a trio. A backup quarterback with a history of beating them got in the way.

Cincinnati contained some of the NFL’s top quarterbacks and knocked off some of its best teams while getting off to the best start in club history. The Texans (4-6) were an appropriate team to end the run.

They made Andy Dalton look bad during first-round playoff wins over the Bengals during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Yates was behind that first one, a 31-10 victory in Houston that was the Texans’ first-ever postseason win.

On Monday night, Yates came in when Hoyer suffered a concussion in the third quarter. He ended his first drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins, who made a one-handed catch in the end zone for the game’s only TD.

Dalton had another tough time against a Texans defense, going 21 of 37 for 187 yards with an interception and three sacks. Cincinnati’s final chance slipped away when A.J. Green made a catch for what would have been a first down at the Texan 23-yard line, then was stripped of the ball by Quintin Demps with 40 seconds left.

Yates finished 5 of 11 for 69 yards and the touchdown pass that decided a lackluster game by both offenses.

The quarterbacks led their teams in rushing. Hoyer had 15 yards on one scramble, and Dalton had 30 yards on five carries.