Brian Cushing didn't look quite right for most of the night.
Coming off ACL surgery that wiped out most of his 2012 season, the Houston Texans' All-Pro linebacker was a step slower than normal Monday night as he knocked off the rust.
Then came a brilliant, sprawling interception. Dropping back into coverage, Cushing read San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers' pass, dove and snatched the ball while going to the turf. Cushing popped up and returned the interception for a game-tying touchdown, which set up the Texans' 31-28 win.
"A lot of things were going wrong for me last year, and a lot of things are going right for me this year. That's just how it works, I guess," Cushing said, per the Houston Chronicle. "You can't get down in certain situations, and there will be better days and this is one of them."
Cushing's play was a microcosm of the Texans' night.
The Texans' defense was a sieve through midway in the third quarter, allowing Rivers to pick them apart. After several adjustments by defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the Texans suffocated Rivers -- not allowing a first down in the entire fourth quarter en route to a 21-point comeback.
The headlines will scream about how the Chargers choked again in prime time, but chokeslams are a two-person performance.
It took a long time for Cushing and the Texans' defense to take hold of the game but, when given the opening, they seized it.
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