The Houston Texans (5-5) kept themselves near the top of the AFC South thanks to a 24-17 win over the fading New York Jets (5-5) on Sunday at NRG Stadium. Here's what you need to know:
- DeAndre Hopkins might be the best wide receiver the NFL. Hopkins had no problem getting space on Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, torching the All-Pro on a 61-yard touchdown in the first half. When Revis went out of the game with a concussion, Hopkins blew past backup corner Marcus Williams for another long touchdown in the second half. Hopkins is putting up monster numbers this year -- what will happen if Houston ever gives him a quality quarterback?
- Remember when the Jets were 4-1 and appeared to be one of the sleeper teams in the AFC? So much for that. New York has lost four of its last five games, and could easily be riding a five-game skid if not for some good fortune in a narrow win over the Jaguars. The problems are manifold: The running game disappeared, the secondary has disappointed, the pass rush is subpar and Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't good enough to cover up the blemishes.
- Revis remains one of the top 10 cornerbacks in the league, but the days are over where you can say he's on top of the mountain. Revis was abused by Hopkins in the first half, and could have surrendered two long touchdown catches instead of one had Yates not overthrown Hopkins on the first possession of the game. To make matters worse, Revis left the game in the second half after suffering a concussion.
- The Texans have to be pinching themselves about how T.J. Yates has performed. The backup quarterback threw two touchdowns without an interception and probably would have done more damage if Houston didn't take the air out of the football in the fourth quarter. Brian Hoyer is still the better option when healthy, but Yates' play in the last six days has bought himself another year or two of NFL employment.
- The Texans outplayed and outcoached the Jets in this game. Texans offensive coordinator George Godsey knew he had an uphill climb with the limited Yates behind center, so he added elements to the game plan with the goal of keeping the Jets off-balance and out of rhythm. It worked. Jonathan Grimes found success running out of the Wildcat and wide receiver Cecil Shorts embarrassed Todd Bowles' defense with a touchdown pass to put Houston ahead for good in the third quarter.
