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Texans beat Washington 23-21 to extend winning streak to 7

Houston (7-3) turned the ball over three times, but kept its winning streak going after Redskins kicker Dustin Hopkins missed a 63-yard field-goal attempt with 3 seconds left.

LANDOVER, Md. — Justin Reid returned an interception 101 yards to help the Houston Texans overcome a mistake-prone Deshaun Watson and beat the Washington Redskins 23-21 on Sunday for their seventh consecutive victory.

Washington's loss came at a significant price when quarterback Alex Smith suffered a gruesome ankle injury on a sack in the third quarter.

Smith's right ankle turned the wrong way as he was sacked by Kareem Jackson and J.J. Watt on a play eerily similar to Joe Theismann's broken leg that came exactly 33 years ago to the day.

Colt McCoy replaced Smith and threw for a touchdown pass and led a long scoring drive for Washington (6-4), which likely will have to rely on the journeyman quarterback the rest of the way.

RELATED: Former UT QB Colt McCoy takes the field during Redskins, Texans game

Adrian Peterson's touchdown that put the Redskins up 21-20 early in the fourth quarter was the first lead change in a game involving the Redskins all season.

Watson threw for a touchdown and had two interceptions, completing 16 of 24 passes and taking three sacks. Houston (7-3) turned the ball over three times, but kept its winning streak going after Redskins kicker Dustin Hopkins missed a 63-yard field-goal attempt with 3 seconds left.

PETERSON'S UP AND DOWN DAY

Peterson ran for two touchdowns to continue climbing the NFL rushing chart, but was bottled up on a lot of his other carries. Peterson's 3- and 7-yard TD runs gave him 105 in his career and moved him past former Redskins star John Riggins into sole possession of sixth all time, one behind Jim Brown for fifth.

Peterson finished with 51 yards on 16 carries.

EMPTY SEATS

A week after Redskins cornerback Josh Norman criticized fans for not having players' backs at home and said the team plays better on the road, FedEx Field had plenty of good seats still available. Most of the lower bowl of the stadium was full, but the middle and upper decks were fairly empty well into the game.

QUIET THOMAS

In his second game with the Texans, Demaryius Thomas was a non-factor. Watson only threw his way twice - once on a play wiped out by a penalty - and the former Broncos receiver did not have a catch.

Thomas stayed in Houston during the bye week in Houston to study the playbook and watch film after making a handful of newcomer mistakes in his debut. Thomas had three catches for 61 yards in that game, but disappeared from the offense Sunday.

MR. RELEVANT

Washington receiver Trey Quinn made a major impact in his return after missing more than two months with a high-ankle sprain. Quinn, who was "Mr. Irrelevant" caught four passes for 49 yards starting in place of injured wideout Jamison Crowder.

PICK-SIX

Reid's big play was the second-longest interception return TD in Texans history.

INJURIES

Texans: RG Zach Fulton left with a shoulder injury on the first drive, and LG Senio Kelemete left with an ankle injury in the second quarter. ... CB Aaron Colvin missed his seventh game in a row with an ankle injury.

Redskins: DL Jonathan Allen was evaluated for a concussion but returned. ... S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was pulled off the field before a third-down play in the fourth quarter, but returned for the next Houston possession. .. Crowder missed his sixth consecutive game with an ankle injury, RB Chris Thompson his third consecutive game with injured ribs and LT Trent Williams his third consecutive game after surgery for a dislocated right thumb.

UP NEXT

Texans: Host the division rival Tennessee Titans on Monday, Nov. 26.

Redskins: Visit the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.

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