Texans improve to 3-1 with 23-17 win over Buffalo
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Call him J.J. Watt, touchdown machine.
Watt had another highlight-reel play to help the Houston Texans overcome a tough day offensively for a 23-17 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Houston (3-1) was down by three in the third quarter and Ryan Fitzpatrick had just thrown a second interception when the 6-foot-5, 289-pound Watt returned an interception 80 yards to put the Texans up 14-10.
The defensive end caught a touchdown pass in Week 2, giving him more TDs this year than Arian Foster and Andre Johnson combined.
Fitzpatrick had a tough day against his former team, throwing for 268 yards with two interceptions. He put together one nice drive just before halftime capped by a 35-yard touchdown reception by DeAndre Hopkins that cut the lead to 10-7.
Under heavy pressure all afternoon, EJ Manuel finished with 225 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Bills (2-2). Buffalo was driving late when Darryl Morris picked him off at the Houston 15 to secure the victory.
Manuel got the Bills within 20-17 when he hit a wide-open Mike Williams for an 80-yard touchdown with about nine minutes left.
Randy Bullock had a 41-yard field goal in the third quarter and added field goals of 55 and 50 yards in the fourth for Houston.
Kyle Williams tipped Fitzpatrick's pass at the line and it was intercepted by Nigel Bradham on the first play of the second half. It didn't matter much, though, as Watt's interception came three plays later when he got his giant hands on the pass to tip it to himself. Kareem Jackson blocked Manuel at the start of the return and Watt was gone.
Watt added a bit of swagger when he high-stepped and waved one hand in the air as he crossed the goal line, igniting the home crowd.
Watt said his goal was to be underpaid when he signed a six-year, $100 million contract earlier this month, and so far he hasn't disappointed.
He's the second player since the merger in 1970 to have an interception return for a touchdown and a touchdown catch in the same season. He's also the first since Houston assistant coach Mike Vrabel did it in 2005 for New England.
Watt is the first player in NFL history to have 35 or more sacks and a touchdown receiving and an interception return in his career.
Hopkins' TD pass capped the first drive where the Texans mustered any offense, and they had negative yards rushing until late in the second quarter.
The also had some problems on defense, with Watt committing two roughing-the-passer penalties in the first quarter.
Johnson lost a fumble early in the second quarter and left tackle Duane Brown and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus got into a scuffle. Brown got a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness.
The Bills took advantage when Watkins got in front of Morris for a 5-yard reception to make it 10-0. Fred Jackson had a nifty 14-yard run up the middle in that drive as he juked one defender before making three other Texans miss.
The Texans gave the ball right back when Leodis McKelvin intercepted Fitzpatrick on Houston's next play. McKelvin was behind Hopkins and simply outjumped him. It was his second interception this season.
Dan Carpenter had a 31-yard field goal for a 3-0 Buffalo lead.
Get a complete wrap-up of today's tonight on Inside the Game on ABC-13 at 11pm.
