HOUSTON – Houston cornerback Derek Stingley had a standout performance on Sunday, primarily tasked with covering Miami’s star receiver Tyreek Hill. His stellar play helped the Texans secure a 20-12 victory over the Dolphins, thanks in part to the team’s defense, which generated four turnovers, including two critical interceptions by Stingley in the fourth quarter.
Houston’s head coach, DeMeco Ryans, praised Stingley’s exceptional skills, stating, “Stingley is playing just unbelievable football right now.” With this win, the Texans improved to a 9-5 record and clinched their second consecutive AFC South title later in the day when the Broncos defeated the Colts 31-13.
Reflecting on his matchup against Hill, who only tallied two receptions for 36 yards, Stingley remarked, “It’s a good opportunity going against somebody that’s the face of the NFL. So anytime you get to go out there on the field, it’s just a good time, just time to have fun.” Meanwhile, Nico Collins emerged as a key player for Houston, catching two touchdown passes. His first came from a 6-yard reception in the second quarter, and he followed that with another from the same distance that extended the lead to 20-6 in the third quarter after a notable 35-yard run on a fake punt by Dare Ogunbowale.
Tua Tagovailoa managed to connect with Jonnu Smith for a 7-yard touchdown late in the third, but the Dolphins couldn’t close the gap completely as the extra point missed. The Dolphins looked to rally when they drove downfield, but Stingley made another pivotal play, intercepting a pass intended for Hill at the Houston 20-yard line. Although the Texans punted on their subsequent drives, Stingley sealed the game by picking off another pass aimed at Hill, securing the win for Houston.
“Defensively, our guys stepped up and did a really good job of closing out the game the way we needed to,” Ryans commented. Quarterback C.J. Stroud expressed admiration for Stingley’s abilities, even suggesting that he could be utilized on offense someday, saying, “He’s one of a kind. Trying to get him a play on offense one of these days. I think he’s that good with the ball in his hands.” Stroud contributed to the Texans’ win by throwing for 131 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Joe Mixon struggled with just 23 yards on 12 carries after an early hard hit.
Conversely, Tagovailoa faced a challenging day, losing a fumble and throwing three interceptions. He threw for 196 yards while missing some key offensive linemen. After the game, he took responsibility for his errors, saying, “Plain and simple, my fault. I’ve got to protect the ball. I’ve got to play better ball for our guys, especially in the situation where the team is counting on me to drive our offense down to potentially tie the game up. That is not what I did.”
A concerning moment occurred in the third quarter when Miami receiver Grant DuBose was stretchered off the field following a helmet-to-helmet collision. He was subsequently taken to a hospital for evaluation and is reported to be in stable condition, with positive feedback concerning head and neck imaging, according to coach Mike McDaniel. DuBose was injured while attempting to make a catch and was hit in the head by rookie Calen Bullock, who was penalized for unnecessary roughness.
In the game, the Texans began their scoring with a 44-yard field goal, followed by a answering field goal from Miami at 55 yards in the second quarter. Houston took a lead after Will Anderson Jr. sacked Tagovailoa, forcing a fumble that Tim Settle recovered. This set up a touchdown pass from Stroud to Collins just before halftime. Miami responded with a 36-yard field goal, yet a lapse in communication led to another fumble by Stroud shortly afterward, which the Dolphins failed to capitalize on. Instead, Tagovailoa threw an interception that allowed the Texans to extend their lead to 13-6 with another field goal before halftime.
Injury updates include Miami WR Jaylen Waddle, who left the game with a knee injury and did not return, while Houston TE Cade Stover missed the game due to an emergency appendectomy. The Texans’ DT Foley Fatukasi also left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury.
Next week, the Dolphins will host San Francisco, while the Texans will travel to face Kansas City on Saturday.
