Deshaun Watson on Thursday threw two scoring passes to DeAndre Hopkins and the Houston Texans reclaimed sole possession of first place in the American Football Conference (AFC) South with a 20-17 victory over the visiting Indianapolis Colts.
Watson passed for 298 yards with touchdowns of 35 and 30 yards to Hopkins, who finished with six catches for 94 yards for the Texans (7-4).
The Colts (6-5) appeared primed for a season sweep of their division rivals after mounting two touchdown drives that featured a combined 17 rushing plays over 18 total snaps.
The Colts’ dominance on the ground was exemplified by Jonathan Williams’ 13-yard scoring run with 5 minutes, 36 seconds left in the third quarter, a play in which Williams bulldozed Texans linebacker Benardrick McKinney before sidestepping cornerback Johnathan Joseph and dashing into the end zone.
Williams rushed for 104 yards on 26 carries, while the Colts totaled 175 rushing yards, but the Texans held Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett to 129 passing yards and saddled him with his first loss against Houston in five career starts with the Colts and the New England Patriots.
The Colts skillfully used their three timeouts, while covering 58 yards over 10 plays. Adam Vinatieri hit a 36-yard field goal as the half expired and the teams entered the break deadlocked.
In other news, the on-field fight between Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has turned into a war of words off the field, with Rudolph denying an anonymous report alleging that he used a racial slur shortly before their confrontation last week.
ESPN, citing anonymous sources, reported that Garrett told the NFL during the appeal of his indefinite suspension that Rudolph used a racial slur just before a confrontation between the two players that included Garrett ripping off Rudolph’s helmet and then hitting the quarterback in the head with it.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said that the league investigated Garrett’s claim and “found no such evidence” of the slur.
The NFL upheld Garrett’s indefinite suspension on Thursday, although the accusation added another complex layer to an already emotionally charged rivalry, with members of both clubs rising to the defense of their teammates.
Cleveland coach Freddie Kitchens said he supports Garrett “in every way possible,” but did not comment when asked if Garrett told Kitchens about the slur in the aftermath of the fight.
Rudolph, who has not yet been disciplined for his role in the fight, spoke about the incident on Wednesday, saying that he “definitely did not say anything that escalated” the situation.
Pittsburgh defensive lineman Cam Heyward said that Rudolph approached him as practice ended on Thursday when both players saw the report on a television as they walked past the team’s weight room.
Heyward, a captain and nine-year veteran, said he believes Rudolph and questioned why Garrett would wait until the appeal to bring up potentially damaging information.
“I thought it would have been brought up right after [the game], there would have been multiple guys speaking up about it,” Heyward said. “You know, I don’t condone racial slurs ever and Mason, dealing with that, he’s going to be labeled for it. That’s just not right. I don’t appreciate that.”
Additional reporting by AP
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