3:55p.m. --H ouston ices the game. Brian Cushing just picked off a Carson Palmer throw late in the fourth quarter. Cushing made an outstanding play on the ball to get it back for his offense. With less than two minute to play it does not appear there will be another comeback.
3:45p.m. -- Just like that, the Texans get the ball back. Carson Palmer threw to JP Foschi, he was stripped, and Houston recovered.
3:40p.m. -- The Bengals just forced a fumble. Houston was driving, looking to pad the lead. On a handoff, Robert Geathers stripped it loose, and Brandon Johnson recovered for the Bengals. There is just over 6:00 to play in the game.
3:15p.m. -- Houston scores again. Matt Schaub fires a pass into the endzone, and Owen Daniels makes a great one handed catch to extend the Texans lead to 28 to 17 with 2:29 left in the third quarter. Houston has scored three touchdowns in three redzone tries.
2:55p.m. -- I rarely watch these network halftime shows, but I have to ask.."Who does Shannon Sharpe have pictures of?" For him to be on network TV, he must have the goods on somebody at CBS. And can they get a few more people to talk at the same time? It's like a male version of "The View." Opening drive of the second half, the Texans move to midfield when Steve Slaton gets tackled and fumbles. Leon Hall made the tackle and recovered the fumble. Challenge by the Texans. They think he was down.
The referees say they're right. His knee was down. Texans keep the ball.
And they drive and score...a 23-yard pass to Jacoby Jones and no defender was near him. Schaub completed all five of his passes in the drive. It's 21-17 Texans with 11:23 to go in the 3Q
2:30 p.m. -- Just before the half, Chris Crocker intercepted a Matt Schaub pass and set up another scoring opportunity for the Bengals. :03 left on the clock and Shayne Graham kicked a 50 yard field goal as time expired. No problem with the snap...strong kick by Graham.
It's halftime...Cincinnati leads 17-14
2:23 p.m.--The Bengals have just scored before halftime. Carson Palmer hit Chad Ocho Cinco on a 50-yard pass play down to the Houston 8 yard line.
Two players later...Palmer found Laveranues Coles in the back of the endzone for the touchdown. I hope he catches a few more td's. I really have to learn how to spell Laveranues without looking at the press guide. It's 14-14
with :28 left in the half.
2:00 p.m. -- Things are changing in a hurry. Schaub directs another solid drive. He got sacked near the 40 by Jonathan Fanene. But on the very next play, he passed left to Steve Slaton. A couple of blocks sprung him and nobody could catch him. Slaton goes 38 yards for the touchdown. It's 14-7 Houston with 7:59 to go in the second quarter.
I mentioned that Antwan Odom was out.
Domata Peko is also missing with some sort of leg injury.
1:48 p.m. -- Cedric Benson has just scored on a ten yard run for Cincinnati.
Bad camera work by CBS..they bit on the fake. Anyway...7-7 early in the second quarter.
1:42 p.m. -- Not great news from PBS. Antwan Odom has left the game with an achilles tendon injury. He won't be returning to the game. We've reached the end of the first quarter. The Texans lead 7-0...the Bengals have the ball.
1:35 p.m. -- Matt Schaub has just directed a touchown drive for the Texans. He escaped from pressure and passed for 11 yards on a 3rd down and five. He ran the quarterback sneak for a first down on a 4th and one. A play later, he got enough time to put down a picnic blanket. He looked at every one of his receivers and probably 4 or 5 pretty girls in the stands. Then he threw to Owen Daniels who caught the ball near the five and reached over the goal line. Texans lead 7-0 with :48 to go in the first quarter.
1:18 p.m. -- The Texans have driven nicely down the field, keyed by a 59-yard pass from Matt Schaub to Andre Johnnson to the Bengals 29. But the Bengals halted the drive inside the 20 and the Bengals have blocked a Kris Brown field goal attempt. Looks like Antwan Odom or Michael Johnson got their hand on the ball.
Still in the first quarter...no score.
1:10 p.m. -- It's a beautiful day for football in Cincinnati. The Bengals moved pretty well on their first drive against the Texans, but the drive stopped around midfield. They just kicked for the first time today. Don Criqui of CBS just got his first Bengals name wrong. He said Ken Huber punted the ball. Good start Don.
