CINCINNATI — T.J. Yates took over after Brian Hoyer sustained a concussion on Monday night and rallied the Houston Texans to a 10-6 victory over Cincinnati, the Bengals’ first loss.
The Bengals (8-1) were trying to give the NFL its first trio of 9-0 teams, joining New England and Carolina. A backup quarterback with a history of beating them did it again.
It was appropriate that the first loss came against the Texans (4-5), who made Andy Dalton look very bad during first-round playoff victories over the Bengals during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Yates was behind that first one.
Yates, who returned to the Texans on Oct. 28, took over in the third quarter and threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins.
Dalton had another tough time against a Texans defense. Cincinnati’s final chance slipped away when A.J. Green fumbled after a catch with 40 seconds left.
OFFICIALS: The Baltimore Ravens have been losing close games all season. Their latest defeat was the cruelest of them all – in part because it involved an officiating error.
The NFL acknowledged Monday that Jacksonville should have been penalized on the play that preceded its winning field goal Sunday. Although the Jaguars were not set before hurriedly snapping the ball with one second on the clock, the officials allowed the play to be run.
Baltimore linebacker Elvis Dumervil subsequently grabbed quarterback Blake Bortles’ facemask while making a tackle, giving Jacksonville one more play with the clock at 0:00.
Jason Myers kicked a 53-yard field goal to deal the Ravens (2-7) a stunning 22-20 loss.
“The correct call in this case would have been to penalize the offense for a false start because all 11 players were not set, and whistle to stop the play,” said NFL spokesman Michael Signora. “The ensuing 10-second runoff should have ended the game.”
PACKERS: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he was disappointed by a fan who made what he called a “really inappropriate” comment during a moment of silence before Sunday’s game between Green Bay and the Detroit Lions.
NFL games across the country Sunday included a moment of silence to remember the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris.
At Lambeau Field, a fan could be heard yelling an anti-Muslim comment. Someone then shouted, “Show some respect!”
After the Packers’ 18-16 loss to the Lions, Rodgers said it was important to hold such moments, adding that “We’re a connected world – you know, six degrees of separation.”
JETS: New York remains hopeful Ryan Fitzpatrick will play Sunday after the quarterback had surgery on his left thumb last week.
Coach Todd Bowles says he wants to see how – and if – Fitzpatrick practices during the week leading up to the game against the Texans in Houston.
Fitzpatrick had a torn ligament in the thumb on his non-throwing hand repaired last Friday, a day after New York’s 22-17 loss to Buffalo.
TITANS: Tennessee is placing wide receiver Justin Hunter and cornerback Jason McCourty on injured reserve
Hunter underwent surgery for a fractured right ankle sustained in Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
This marks the second straight year the 2013 second-round pick has suffered a season-ending injury. He had a lacerated spleen in 2014.
Hunter finished the season with 22 catches for 264 yards and one touchdown.
McCourty is undergoing a second surgical procedure to correct a groin injury that first occurred on Aug. 6 and cost him all of the preseason and the first three games of the regular season. He had surgery on Aug. 24, but the injury flared up again.
BROWNS: Wide receiver Andrew Hawkins was released from a Pittsburgh hospital after sustaining a concussion on Sunday against the Steelers.
Hawkins spent the night under observation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. It’s the second concussion in three weeks for Hawkins.
• With the season unraveling, Coach Mike Pettine says he’s not yet prepared to name quarterback Johnny Manziel his starter for the final six games.
Manziel passed for a career-high 372 yards Sunday, but the Browns dropped their fifth straight game, 30-9, to Pittsburgh.
Pettine was impressed by the second-year QB’s progress, but said he hasn’t decided whether to turn Cleveland’s offense over to Manziel.
49ers: San Francisco’s starting quarterback might be a week-by-week decision for Coach Jim Tomsula, yet he is noncommittal on what might happen next week after Sunday’s game at Seattle.
Blaine Gabbert is the guy for now as he makes a second straight start after leading the 49ers to a 17-16 win against Atlanta on Nov. 8 ahead of the team’s bye week.
He will try to find a rhythm against the Seahawks this weekend at CenturyLink Field that previous starter Colin Kaepernick has not.
RAMS: Case Keenum will replace Nick Foles as the starter, St. Louis Coach Jeff Fisher said.
Fisher said he had been over the last “four to five weeks” looking at the “big picture” in the production of the offense.
“Decided to make a quarterback change,” Fisher said. “This is my decision. Nobody came down the hall and said this is what we need to do.”
Foles went 17 for 36 for 200 yards in Sunday’s 37-13 loss at home to Chicago.
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