SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Busting through a hapless attempt to block him Sunday night, Texans defensive end Christian Covington delivered a punishing tackle that popped the football out of the hands of San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde.
And the fumble forced by the former Rice standout was recovered on the hop by outside linebacker John Simon as he scampered 41 yards into the end zone for a touchdown during the first quarter of the Texans' preseason opener at Levi's Stadium.
In a rare preseason appearance, five-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Vince Wilfork contributed to the turnover as he clogged up any running lanes intended for Hyde.