TJ Yates' departure from the Houston Texans after the 2013 season came with little fanfare. However, his return to a prominent role with the team in Houston's 10-6 road win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night will come with decidedly more celebration from fans around the Lone Star State.
Replacing starting quarterback Brian Hoyer after he left following a blow to the head, Yates led the Texans on a nine-play, 79-yard drive punctuated by a gorgeous 22-yard TD connection with WR DeAndre Hopkins which gave the team a 10-6 lead early in the fourth quarter. That's all the Texans would need, as the defense would hold serve to knock the Bengals from the ranks of the unbeaten (8-1) and push the Texans into a tie with the Indianapolis Colts for first place in the AFC South at 4-5.
Signed by the Texans after Ryan Mallett was cut back in late October, Yates sat back and watched Brian Hoyer kickstart the offense as Mallett's replacement. However, he was pushed into duty on Monday with Hoyer undergoing concussion testing, and he most of what he was given.
That was huge, considering neither team would sniff the end zone for the first three quarters, with both running games seemingly stuck in neutral and each passing game failing to make good on a host of opportunities. The teams went to the locker room at halftime with Cincinnati leading 6-3 on two Mike Nugent field goals, and that's where they'd stay until Yates' decisive throw in the early fourth.
Bengals QB Andy Dalton had been in MVP form all season long, but was unable to get out of the blocks on Monday night. He finished 22 of 38 for just 197 yards and an interception. The night was so bad for Dalton, that audible boos could be heard from the crowd in the fourth while Dalton struggled to keep the Bengals on the field.
Dalton did have one last shot to change the narrative of the game with time winding down, but a 10-yard connection to WR AJ Green ended with Green coughing up the ball. Houston safety Quintin Demps would recover the loose ball at the Texans 23, sealing the game for the Texans and putting a cap on a frustrating night for the Bengals offense.
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