The Houston Texans are AFC South champions for the fourth time in five seasons after a thrilling 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ka'imi Fairbairn hit the winning 37-yard field goal with 7:11 left to give Houston the three-point win in a game marred by mistakes throughout the afternoon by Tampa Bay.
The final mistake came with under two minutes to play in the fourth quarter as Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston threw an interception to Jahleel Addae with Tampa at its own 38-yard line. The interception was Winston's fourth of the game and the third time Winston threw four-plus interceptions on the season. Winston leads the NFL with 28 interceptions and is just two interceptions away from being the first quarterback to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a season.
Winston finished 25 of 48 for 335 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions for a 46.8 passer rating. Breshad Perriman led Tampa with seven catches for 102 yards.
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The Texans certainly capitalized off the Buccaneers' five turnovers, three of which led to Houston taking a 17-3 first-half lead. Even though Tampa rallied to tie the game 17-17 heading into halftime, the Texans defense held the Buccaneers to just three points in the final 30 minutes. Tampa was held to just 154 yards in the second half and 4.5 yards per play, which led to their high-scoring offense being shut down.
Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson made enough plays to give the Texans the victory, finishing 19 of 32 for 184 yards with no touchdowns and an interception for a 64.5 passer rating, and leading Houston with seven carries for 37 yards. The Texans received just five catches for 23 yards from DeAndre Hopkins and two catches and 11 yards from Will Fuller, who left the game with a hamstring injury.
After allowing the Buccaneers to erase a 17-3 deficit in the final minutes in the second quarter, the Texans clamped down on defense in the second half. The Buccaneers had just five possessions in the second half, and they ended in a field goal, punt, turnover on downs, interception and the end of the game. Houston's defense neutralized Tampa's offense by eliminating the big play, allowing just one play that went over 20 yards in the second half. Tampa averaged 12.9 points in the second half, but had just three points in this game. Houston allowed 9 of 17 third down conversions (52.9%), but had two third down stops in the final 4:22. Ronald Jones was stopped for a two-yard loss and Winston was picked off by Addae, both with the Texans up three points. They were two of Houston's biggest plays on defense.
It's easy to point out Winston's four interceptions as a reason by the Buccaneers are not over .500, but Tampa had five turnovers that spelled their doom in this one. Winston threw an interception on his first pass of the game that was returned for a 27-yard touchdown by Bradley Roby less than a minute in. His second interception in the first quarter resulted in a field goal that put the Buccaneers in a 10-0 hole, with the Texans not recording an offensive first down (both first downs were by Buccaneers holding penalties). The second touchdown started due to another turnover, which Peyton Barber fumbled at the Buccaneers own 30. giving Houston a short field. Tampa rallied from the 14-point deficit to tie the game at halftime, but the damage was done. Winston's late interception was the final nail in the coffin.
Cameron Brate dropping a fourth-and-3 pass from Winston with 3:38 left was the break the Texans needed. After Ronald Jones lost two yards on third-and-1, Winston found a wide-open Brate across the middle of the field and the tight end simply dropped the pass.
If Brate catches the pass, he's going at least 10 more yards as he had room to run. The Buccaneers would have been in field goal range and the game possibly goes to overtime at the very least. Winston didn't have a good day, but Brate could have helped him earn a win.
DeAndre Carter, Houston's fourth receiver and punt returner, made the catch of the afternoon that set up the Texans' decisive field goal. Carter, playing in place of the injured Fuller, was the recipient of a 39-yard catch on third-and-6 that was Houston's longest pass play of the game.
Watson threw a perfect pass to Carter, who landed at the Buccaneers' 31-yard line with 9:30 to play in a 20-20 game. Houston scored four plays later on Fairbairn's kick to take the lead for good. Cater finished with two catches for 44 yards, Houston's second-leading receiver after Hopkins was neutralized and Fuller was injured.
"He was probably most surprised (he dropped it). Five years with us and he had a chance to win the game. That was a big one." -- Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians on Brate's drop on fourth-and-3, via the Pewter Report.
Brate is having a frustrating year with 33 catches for 292 yards and three touchdowns, but he dropped a pass right in his hands. Winston was off target most of the afternoon, but that pass wasn't one of the bad ones.
The Texans will play the Tennessee Titans in Houston to close out the season with an opportunity to play for the No. 3 seed in the AFC (at the moment). The Buccaneers close out their 2019 schedule with a home game against the Atlanta Falcons.
That will do it from the live blog. Houston wraps up the AFC South in a crazy game. We'll look for Jameis Winston to make history next weekend as he's two INTs away from 30. Thanks for tuning in everyone!
4th AFC South title in 5 years for the Texans. Buccaneers fall to 7-8.
Texans win AFC South. They're going back to the playoffs.
60 yards in 21 seconds with no TOs. Who says no?
The Texans can't run out the clock because of a holding penalty on a give me run. This game everyone.
That's 28 INT for Winston this season
His fourth of the day will give the Texans the AFC South title
JAMEIS WINSTON INT
Winston can't take a sack there. The last thing he had to do. The Bucs got that TO back.
Buccaneers with no timeouts now. on their own 29. Perriman taken off the field and into the tent on a hit to his head. Used their last timeout on the injury I guess.
I can't explain this.
This game guys
https://twitter.com/JeffKerrCB...
Sneak it with Watson. Get the first. Force the Bucs to use the timeouts.
Might be an inch short. 4th-and-1 coming.
I don't think Carter got the first on 3rd-and-6. Bad spot by the officials.
Was a great job by Watson to just take the sack and force the Bucs to use the TO
JPP with three sacks now after the Texans decide to throw it up three with 3:26 left. I don't get it.
Not Winston's fault.
https://twitter.com/247KevinBo...
Cameron Brate dropped the wide open 4th down pass. Texans ball.
Wow.
