EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.

After Arian Foster ran over the New York Jets all night, it was time for the defense to seal things for the Houston Texans.

A six-point lead. Three minutes left. Mark Sanchez and the Jets 84 yards away from sending the Texans to their first loss with a crowd-pleasing comeback.

Not on this night.

Kareem Jackson intercepted Sanchez with 1:51 remaining as the Texans held on for a 23-17 victory Monday night and a 5-0 start.

Foster ran for 152 yards and a touchdown, and the Texans overcame some big throws by Sanchez, a few exciting moments by Tim Tebow and a 100-yard kickoff return by Joe McKnight to beat the Jets for the first time in team history.

It was a close one, though. Much closer than most expected. After all, the Jets (2- 3) were heavy underdogs after coming off a 34-0 loss to San Francisco last week, but made a game of it.

Schaub was 14 of 28 for 209 yards and a touchdown to Owen Daniels, winning his ninth straight game — the longest active streak in the NFL — dating to last season. Daniels finished with four catches for 79 yards for the Texans, who have just their second five-game winning streak in team history.

Tebow got the MetLife Stadium crowd fired up at times during the game, including running for a first down on a fake punt. He also threw a pinpoint deep pass that newly signed Jason Hill should have caught, and later took a direct snap and ran for 13 yards to get the ball near the goal line in the fourth quarter.

Trailing 20-7, McKnight got the Jets right back into it with his 100-yard kickoff return — his second of his career — to cut the Texans’ lead to 20-14 with 4:38 left in the third quarter.

New York attempted an onside kick, but the ball went through Chaz Schilens’ hands and Shiloh Keo recovered, giving the Texans the ball with good field position.

Schaub hit fullback James Casey for 30 yards to quiet the crowd

Nick Folk’s 21-yard field goal with 11:55 left made it 23-17.