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National Football League
Houston 17, Washington 6
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 7, 2014
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Temperature: Dome
Head Official: Jerome Boger
Attendance: 71770

Texans 17, Redskins 6: DeAndre Hopkins hauled in a 76-yard touchdown catch and Alfred Blue scored on a blocked punt as host Houston defeated Washington in a matchup of teams that went 5-27 last season.

Making his first start for the Texans (1-0), Ryan Fitzpatrick went 14-of-22 for 206 yards and a touchdown, while Hopkins finished with four receptions for 89 yards for Houston, which won for the first time in nearly a year after losing its final 14 games in 2013. Andre Johnson contributed six catches for 93 yards, Arian Foster went for 103 yards on 27 rushing attempts and Randy Bullock sealed the win for Houston with a late 42-yard field goal.

Washington (0-1) received an efficient performance from Robert Griffin III, who was 29-of-37 for 267 yards without a touchdown or an interception. Alfred Morris carried 14 times for 91 yards for the Redskins, who could not overcome two turnovers, seven penalties and 3-for-12 third-down efficiency.

The Redskins got on the board first with 6:06 left in the second quarter on Darrel Young's 1-yard TD plunge, but Kai Forbath's extra point was blocked by J.J. Watt. The Texans quickly answered on the long TD pass from Fitzpatrick to Hopkins, who got wide open downfield following a play-action and juked a defender on his way to the end zone.

Washington failed on its next offensive possession and the ensuing punt was blocked by Blue, who scooped up the loose ball and walked into the end zone to make it 14-6. The Redskins drove to the Texans 7 on the opening possession of the third quarter, but Griffin fumbled and Watt recovered, and Washington's next drive ended when Niles Paul fumbled near midfield.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Houston LB Jadeveon Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee and will undergo surgery Monday that is expected to sideline him 4-to-6 weeks. Clowney finished with one tackle in his NFL debut. ... Washington WR Pierre Garcon, who led the NFL with a franchise-record 113 receptions last season, finished with 10 catches for 77 yards. Paul contributed a team-high 86 yards on four receptions. ... Watt had three tackles - two for loss, including a sack - and also recovered a fumble, in addition to the blocked extra point.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Washington   Houston
Alfred Morris Player Arian Foster
14 Attempts 27
91 Yards 103
6.5 Avg Yards 3.8
0 Touchdowns 0
21 Long 10
Receiving
Washington   Houston
Niles Paul Player Andre Johnson
4 Receptions 6
86 Yards 93
21.5 Avg Yards 15.5
0 Touchdowns 0
48 Long 23
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Washington 372 131 241 1 0 0 0.0 1
Houston 321 115 206 2 1 0 3.0 1
Upcoming Games
  • Houston will play their next game on the road against Oakland. The Texans have a W/L % of .000 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Washington will play their next game at home against Jacksonville. The Redskins have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.