The Texans didn’t do much in the second half, but they did enough.
They got only a 37-yard field goal from Ka’imi Fairbairn in the second half and needed a Brandon McManus miss on the final play of the game to pull out a 19-17 victory.
It was the Texans’ sixth win in a row after an 0-3 start. It was Denver’s sixth loss in its last seven, dropping the Broncos to 3-6.
The Broncos will kick themselves after this one, playing conservatively after reaching the Texans 37. They put the game in McManus’ foot, and he missed a 51-yarder to send the Texans home happy.
McManus also missed from 62 yards at the end of the first half, leading to a Fairbairn 46-yard field goal on the final play before halftime. McManus made a 44-yarder in the first half on a windy day.
Fairbairn’s missed extra point in the first half and only 100 yards of offense in the second half nearly proved the Texans undoing as Case Keenum rallied the Broncos.
Denver took over at its own 14 with 3:29 remaining. It overcame a false start, a hold and two fourth downs to get in field-goal range. With 43 seconds left and holding a timeout, the Broncos got off only two plays after reaching the Houston 37, including a Phillip Lindsay run for minus-1 yard before McManus’ miss.
Keenum went 26-of-42 for 290 yards and a touchdown.
Deshaun Watson, who had 148 yards passing and two touchdowns in the first half, finished 17-of-24 for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Ex-Bronco Demaryius Thomas, who had three catches for 61 yards in the first half, did not catch a pass in the second half.