Backup quarterback T. J. Yates rifled touchdown passes to DeAndre Hopkins on the first two series of his third tour of duty as a Texan after replacing the concussed Tom Savage late in the second quarter, but he cooled off thereafter and San Francisco 49ers escaped NRG Stadium with a 26-16 victory Sunday afternoon.
The Texans fell to 4-9 and lost for the sixth time in seven games. They're 1-5 since rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson went down with a season-ending knee injury. The 49ers are 3-10 on the season but 2-0 behind Jimmy Garoppolo, Tom Brady's former understudy in New England who was acquired in an in-season trade.