NFL: Texans edge Dolphins for first win, 29-28
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans learned last week that they have to play to the very end. Today that lesson paid off.
Matt Schaub threw interceptions on Houston's first two possessions, but ran for a 3-yard touchdown with 3 seconds left, leading the Texans to a 29-28 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
The Dolphins (2-3) had knocked down consecutive passes in the end zone before Schaub ran for the score. The 2-point conversion failed, but Houston had enough points.
That drive was kept alive when Andre Johnson caught a 23-yard pass on fourth-and-10.
Houston (1-4) got its first win in dramatic fashion a week after blowing a 17-point fourth-quarter lead in a 31-27 loss to the Colts.
Ronnie Brown's 6-yard run with less than 2 minutes remaining gave Miami the lead. Chad Pennington was intercepted by Eugene Wilson moments earlier, but Wilson fumbled on the return and Miami recovered, giving the Dolphins a new set of downs to set up Brown's score.
Schaub finished 22-of-42 for 379 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Kris Brown's 42-yard field goal gave Houston a 23-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Houston settled for a field goal after Kevin Walter tipped a pass and it was nearly intercepted by Will Allen.
Houston had taken its first lead 20-14 when Johnson scored on a 12-yard pass early in the third quarter. Johnson set up that score when he caught a short pass and ran 61 yards.
The Dolphins answered when Ricky Williams scored his first touchdown since 2005 on a 5-yard run.
Houston's sloppy play in last week's late collapse against the Colts bled over into the early part of this game. The Texans' last three possessions a week ago ended in turnovers and their first two in this game ended the same way.
That wasn't the last of the mistakes for the Texans. They trailed by one point and were driving late in the third quarter when Allen forced a fumble by Johnson that Yeremiah Bell recovered in the Miami end zone.
On Houston's first possession, Joey Porter hit Schaub as he threw and it was intercepted by Akin Ayodele. Andre Goodman picked off Schaub on Houston's next drive and this time the Dolphins made sure Houston paid.
Ronnie Brown took the snap and handed off to Williams, who shoveled it to Pennington in the backfield. Pennington hit a wide-open Patrick Cobbs for the 53-yard touchdown.
Texans fans booed heartily after the first interception and some chanted "We want Sage" for backup Sage Rosenfels after the second. They few fans that were left for the winning score replaced those chants with roars of approval for Schaub.
Cobbs pushed the lead to 14-3 when he took a screen pass and rumbled 80 yards early in the second quarter. The third-string running back had gained just 19 yards entering the game, but starred in the state where he led the nation in rushing in 2003 at North Texas.
Kris Brown had field goals of 27 and 33 yards and Jacoby Jones cut Miami's lead to 14-13 with a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter, his first career TD. He ended the return by leaping into the first row of the stands where his mother sat wearing her son's jersey.