At a point in the season where they needed to stand up tall and make a statement, the Texans did just that on Monday night, beating the then undefeated Bengals 10-6. But what does this big stage win really mean for the Texans?
Pick 1: Big Win on a Big Stage
Deny it all you want and say that “it’s just another game,” but we all know that games on Sunday and Monday night carry a little extra weight with them. That weight grows 
immensely when you factor in the fact that Houston was on the road at undefeated Cincinnati. None of the analysts really gave them a chance, but they really showed up in a big way.
A win like that over a team like that is one that can really jumpstart a season. With seven games left in the season against each team in the division and tough out-of-division competition, the confidence this Texans team gained from that win could have a major impact on the rest of their season.
Pick 2: Back On Top
The other major confidence booster from this win comes from the fact that the Texans are now back atop the AFC South (tied with the Colts still, but whatever), with a 4-5 record. See? Isn’t it great that this division is pretty awful?
Given Houston’s position and their remaining schedule, they now control their own destiny. There will be tough games ahead against the Jets, Bills and Pats, but those will just be more big game tests that can show us what this team is made of.
Pick 3: That Defense, Though
The Houston defense we’ve all been waiting for looks like it’s finally back at the best possible time. Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense has been torching teams all season 
with its crazy amount of weapons.
It looked like the Bengals were going to break through early in the game, but the Texans were able to halt this prolific offense and hold them to just two field goals. Sure, the offense only scored one touchdown, but guess what? That’s what the Houston game plan really should be anyway! Their strength lies in their defense, and they showed up in primetime.
Pick 4: The Red Ryder BB Gun
In his postgame interview, JJ Watt said that they wanted to turn the Red Rifle into the Red Ryder BB Gun. This put Andy Dalton’s red hair on fire when he heard about it, but I had two thoughts during this whole thing.
First of all, when I watched the live interview and heard Watt say that, I kind of shook my head because JJ Watt, as intimidating a figure as he is, isn’t great at smack talk. I always appreciate a good pun and well-placed movie references, but that wasn’t Watt’s best effort. I still chuckled, though.
Secondly, I can understand why Dalton didn’t love the comment. But I can’t understand how that comment has anything to do with the kids watching the sport or the integrity of the game. The man beat you. Plain and simple. Therefore, smack talk can commence. It was still kind of weird to hear Watt try to smack talk like that, but I didn’t hate it.
Pick 5: Defensive Stats Tell The Story
I’m sure that by this point, you guys know that I like to talk. But this time, I’m simply going to let the defensive stats against the Bengals do the talking.
Houston allowed just 256 yards and 16 first downs to the Bengals, forced two turnovers, had three sacks, and held Dalton to a 57.8-percent completion percentage. Enough said.
Pick 6: Demps, You Beauty
Cincy was driving late in the game, needing a touchdown to take the lead and win. On 4th down, Dalton found AJ Green on a quick pass out to the left, and it looked like the game would go on with even more anxiety. Then like a glorious hero flying in at the last possible second, Quintin Demps came in and dislodged the ball from Green’s hands to force a fumble, which he then recovered to end the game. The most clutch of clutch plays. Those are the kind of plays you need if you’re going to keep winning big games like that.
