Houston Texans players celebrate after defensive tackle Jadeveon Clowney (90) scored on a 22-yard fumble recovery in the second quarter against New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on September 24, 2017. File photo by Matthew Healey/UPI |
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HOUSTON -- Jadeveon Clowney led a timely defensive stand and the Houston Texans overcame two first-half turnovers in a 31-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at NRG Stadium.
Clowney was a menace throughout, but his fourth-down gap-stuffing on Cardinals running back Adrian Peterson midway through the fourth quarter resulted in a turnover on downs and enabled the Texans (4-6) to seize control on the ensuing snap when rookie running back D'Onta Foreman dashed 34 yards for a touchdown and a two-score lead with 6:19 remaining.
The Cardinals (4-6) dropped consecutive games for the first time this season despite a decent showing from third-string quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who completed 22 of 34 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns.
Arizona benefited significantly from two turnovers by Texans quarterback Tom Savage, who ran his turnover count to nine in just four starts this season.
Cardinals strong safety Bubba Baker had a strip-sack of Savage midway through the second quarter and, two plays later, Gabbert tossed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald.
Two possessions later, Savage tossed an interception to Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson and Gabbert followed with the first of his two touchdown passes to Ricky Seals-Jones.
Trailing 14-10 at the intermission, the Texans rallied, first when Savage connected with DeAndre Hopkins for a 28-yard touchdown and a 17-14 lead with 11:02 left in the third quarter. After Gabbert and Seals-Jones responded to push the Cardinals back in front, Savage engineered a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by a 3-yard Foreman touchdown run.
When Arizona attempted to reach the chains from its 35-yard line, Clowney led a gang of defenders through an open gap to stuff Peterson and stifle the Cardinals.
NOTES: Former Houston WR Andre Johnson was the inaugural inductee in the Texans Ring of Honor. Johnson signed a one-day contract with the team last Wednesday to officially retire as a member of the Texans, for whom he played 12 seasons and had 1,012 receptions for 13,597 yards and 64 touchdowns. ... With 91 receiving yards, Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald moved into fifth place on the NFL career list with 15,157, surpassing Tony Gonzalez (15,127). Isaac Bruce is fourth with 15,208 yards. ... Cardinals rookie TE Ricky Seals-Jones had his first career touchdown via an 11-yard reception with 1:53 left in the first half. ... Texans OLB/DE Jadeveon Clowney set a career high with seven sacks and one in four consecutive games.
