HOUSTON (AP) – Tom Savage threw for 176 yards in his first career start and the Cincinnati Bengals missed a field goal as time expired, giving the Houston Texans a 12-10 victory and their second straight AFC South title Saturday night.
The Bengals converted a fourth down play to keep a drive alive, but four plays later, former Texan Randy Bullock’s 43-yard attempt sailed wide right to secure Houston’s victory.
Savage helped the Texans (9-6) rally for a win over the Jaguars last week after taking over when Brock Osweiler was benched after throwing interceptions on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter.
The Texans knew they were in the postseason with a win after the Titans fell to the Jaguars earlier Saturday. But it didn’t look good for them early with Savage completing just two passes for 13 yards and them trailing 3-0 at halftime.
Savage was able to move the offense much better in the second half, but Houston still struggled in the red zone.