Week 10 Bengals vs Texans: First Goat of the Week is here

“I have a lot of respect for him”, said Dalton of Watt. Cincinnati’s performance served as a stark reminder that Andy Dalton continues to be a different player once the sun goes down, whether it’s a nationally televised contest or the playoffs. Still, the Texans were pumped, partly because no one gave them a chance, but also because the win moved them into a first-place tie with the Colts in the AFC South.

The deep ball went away.

Dalton was sacked three times and threw an interception as the Bengals failed to score a touchdown for the first time this season. The game marked the first time since December that Dalton didn’t complete a touchdown pass in a game.

The short game wasn’t effective either. The Texans’ running backs managed only 25 yards in the first half.

The night wasn’t a total loss, though.

After Brian Hoyer was pulled from the game by medical for a concussion, the Bengal slayer T.J.

Watt then put perspective on what beating the Bengals means.

That the Texans had a bye week heading into this game absolutely helped. They worked on tackling, and it improved.

Still, in the waning moments of Monday’s game, there was the sense that these Bengals would find a way to win.

NOTES: O’Brien expects outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney to return this week after he sat out on Monday night with a lower back injury.

We got through the first half of the season without having to do a “Goat of the Week” post, which is definitely a good thing. “We’ll make plays and catches like we have been and continue to get better at it”. On September 4 of this year, when the Falcons dropped him from the roster during the final round of cuts, his National Football League career was very much in doubt. “I wish him the best the rest of the season”. He’s playing hurt. He’s a guy that’s toughing it out every day, he’s out there in practice every day. Now we’re reduced to a pro quarterback – a cultural symbol of the American male as iconic as the cowboy – whining because another football player made fun of his nickname.

-SPECIAL TEAMS: C. The difference in Monday’s game was field position. “He brings a lot of energy to our locker room”. The Texans were the 11th underdog to win outright in Week 10 and the 12th underdog to cover the spread. Dalton converted a third-and-18 on a pass to receiver A.J. Green to keep the drive alive. So a matchup with the lowly Houston Texans, who sat at 3-5, should have been no problem, right? Dalton picked up 30 yards on five runs, a few of them off designed plays. Fumble. Or incomplete pass. The review extended the time of the game, but either way it was over. “Not everything is going to be pretty”, he said. Considering their 8-0 record and the prime time game being in Cincinnati, there was a buzz in the air among Bengal fans.