Spokesman-Review
National Football League
Houston 24, N.Y. Jets 17
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, November 22, 2015
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Temperature: Dome
Head Official: John Parry
Attendance: 71718

HOUSTON - Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has showcased his credentials repeatedly this season, but on Sunday, with New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis lined up opposite of him, Hopkins took a big step toward superstardom.

Texans backup quarterback T.J. Yates tossed two touchdown passes to Hopkins and the Houston Texans unleashed a versatile offensive attack in their 24-17 win over the New York Jets at NRG Stadium.

The Texans (5-5) claimed their third consecutive win by challenging the Jets' stout run defense with surprising personnel packages, including deploying the Wildcat with running back Jonathan Grimes and receiver Cecil Shorts III taking snaps. That gambit enabled the Texans to more effectively utilize Hopkins, who totaled five catches for 118 yards.

Hopkins' first scoring grab came against Revis, a 61-yard post pattern aided by a splendid throw from Yates that delivered Houston a 10-3 lead with 3:04 left in the first half. Hopkins burned Revis, who left the game in the second half with a concussion and did not return, down the sideline in the first quarter but Yates' pass was badly overthrown.

"A guy like Darrelle Revis who's been in the NFL a long time, they study tendencies," Hopkins said. "They know what you're doing from the way you line up, so when you run a route you almost have to be perfect. The timing has to be perfect with the quarterback going against a smart guy like him."

With the Texans leading 17-10 late in the third quarter, Yates found Hopkins again, this time matched up against Marcus Williams. The resulting 20-yard touchdown reception pushed the Houston lead to two scores.

Yates, subbing for injured starter Brian Hoyer (concussion), finished 16 for 34 for 229 yards. Shorts rushed for 26 yards, added 51 receiving yards, and threw a 21-yard scoring pass to running back Alfred Blue in the third quarter, snapping a 10-10 tie at the 7:51 mark.

"Offensively we had to be creative this week," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "I thought we did a good job of that. Obviously, defense playing well helps things."

Former Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick passed for 216 yards, including a 21-yard strike to Brandon Marshall in the third quarter that pulled the Jets (5-5) even at 10-10. Fitzpatrick added a 6-yard touchdown run with 4:20 remaining but tossed an interception with 2:47 left, a fourth-down pass picked off by Texans safety Eddie Pleasant.

After the Jets held defensively, Fitzpatrick threw another interception, this one to Texans safety Andre Hal with 1:52 remaining in the game.

"I didn't play well," Fitzpatrick said. "There's a lot of throws I needed to make that I didn't make. Obviously having two chances there at the end and not coming up with a touchdown on one of those drives hurts."

The Jets lost for the fourth time in five games, squandering all the momentum from their surprisingly positive start. With his offense sputtering -- the Jets managed just 267 total yards on Sunday -- coach Todd Bowles made clear his displeasure with the performance by the offense but stopped short of executing a quarterback change.

"I'm still committed to Ryan," Bowles said of Fitzpatrick, who was sacked three times, including twice by Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. "I just don't think he played very well."

NOTES: The Texans had their streak of consecutive quarters without allowing a touchdown snapped at 12, the longest such streak in the NFL this season and second-longest in franchise history (13, Dec. 12, 2004-Jan. 2, 2005). ... Texans CB A.J. Bouye departed in the second quarter with a concussion and did not return. With Kareem Jackson inactive and Johnathan Joseph temporarily sidelined with a knee injury, the Texans were down three cornerbacks late in the first half. ... Jets C Nick Mangold suffered a hand injury in the first quarter and did not return. ... Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins tied the franchise record for single-season touchdown receptions (nine), set by Andre Johnson in 2009. ... Jets DT Sheldon Richardson was scratched with a hamstring injury. Richardson did not practice last week but Jets coach Todd Bowles said his availability would be determined after pregame warmups.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
N.Y. Jets   Houston
Chris Ivory Player Alfred Blue
8 Attempts 21
36 Yards 58
4.5 Avg Yards 2.8
0 Touchdowns 0
23 Long 14
Receiving
N.Y. Jets   Houston
Eric Decker Player DeAndre Hopkins
4 Receptions 5
81 Yards 118
20.2 Avg Yards 23.6
0 Touchdowns 2
25 Long 61
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
N.Y. Jets 267 70 197 2 1 0 1.0 2
Houston 364 123 241 3 1 2 3.0 0
Upcoming Games
  • Houston will play their next game at home against New Orleans. The Texans have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .500 after a loss.
  • N.Y. Jets will play their next game at home against Miami. The Jets have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .500 after a loss.