Deshaun Watson tossed a season-best five touchdown passes and the Houston Texans extended their NFL winning streak to five games with a 42-23 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday at NRG Stadium.
Watson delivered a performance reminiscent of his breakthrough yet injury-shortened rookie season, completing 16 of 20 attempts for 239 yards.
He led the Texans on three scoring drives that elapsed less than a minute on the clock, including a pair of two-play, second-half marches that sandwiched the second of three field goals from Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders.
After Miami closed the deficit to 21-17 on a trick play -- receiver Danny Amendola completed a 28-yard scoring pass to Kenyan Drake at the 5:03 mark of the third quarter -- Watson connected with Will Fuller on a 73-yard touchdown pass that rebuilt the 11-point lead.
On the second play of the ensuing possession, Watson found DeAndre Hopkins alone in the secondary for a 49-yard pass play that extended the advantage to 35-20 11 seconds into the fourth.
Watson and Hopkins hooked up again on a two yard pass later in the final quarter.
Watson also tossed a pair of scoring strikes to rookie tight end Jordan Thomas, the second of which covered two yards and followed a 58-yard dash by running back Lamar Miller.
Thomas' first touchdown, a 13-yarder at the 14:14 mark of the second quarter, capped a two-play, 36-yard sprint that followed a Justin Reid interception of Dolphins quarterback Brock Osweiler.
Osweiler finished 21-of-37 for 241 yards. His fumble late in the first half, returned by Texans cornerback Natrell Jamerson for a score, was reversed upon review into an incomplete pass.
Miami caught another break earlier in the game when a dubious personal foul penalty on Joel Health enabled the Dolphins to erase a 42-yard Sanders field goal and precluded a 12-yard touchdown run from Drake that gave Miami a 7-0 lead at the 4:58 mark of the first quarter.
But Miller's one-yard touchdown pulled the Texans, then Reid followed with his interception and the Texans scored again 77 seconds later to secure the lead for good.
