Final Score: Houston 28, Cincinnati 17

Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Matt Schaub completed 28-of-40 passes for a season-high 392 yards and four touchdowns, as the Houston Texans used a strong third quarter to take down the Cincinnati Bengals, 28-17, in Week 6 action at Paul Brown Stadium.

Owen Daniels caught seven passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns for the Texans (3-3), who have alternated wins and losses over their last nine games dating back to last season. Steve Slaton hauled in six passes for 102 yards and a TD. Andre Johnson caught eight passes for 135 yards for Houston, which was coming off a 28-21 loss at Arizona last Sunday.

"Yeah, that's a big win. We came in here against a heck of a football team. We made our share of mistakes, but were able to come out on top against a good football team," Houston head coach Gary Kubiak said.

Carson Palmer connected on 23-of-35 passes for 259 yards, a TD and an interception for the Bengals (4-2), who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Cedric Benson rushed for 44 yards and a score on 16 carries. Chad Ochocinco caught five passes for 103 yards. Laveranues Coles had a touchdown catch in defeat.

"To sum up the day, we didn't get any points and we lost the field position battle, particularly in the second half. We put our offense in a bad position. Just about every possession, we started out somewhere between the 20 and the 30, at best. Defensively, the two scores in the second half by Houston put us behind. We hadn't gotten back in the game at the end of the first half, but we didn't get enough going offensively and the fumbles (hurt) us," Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis said.

Ahead 21-17, Houston put together an eight-play, 66-yard scoring drive near the end of the third stanza. Faced with a 3rd-and-9 at the Bengals 38, Schaub dumped the ball off to Slaton for a 27-yard play. Two plays later, Daniels made a sensational one-handed grab in the end zone for a seven-yard score and a 28-17 lead with 2:29 to go.

With the Texans driving late in the fourth, it all seemed to be over. However, Cincinnati's Robert Geathers forced Slaton to fumble and Brandon Johnson was there for the recovery with 5:38 to play.

The Cincinnati offense disappointed, though, as J.P. Foschi fumbled on the second play. Houston recovered the fumble, but couldn't do anything on offense and punted the ball away.

The Bengals took over at their own 20 with 3:37 remaining. They drove to the Houston 26, but Brian Cushing's interception of a Palmer pass sealed the win for the Texans.

The Texans drove deep into Cincinnati territory during their first possession of the game. A wide receiver screen to Johnson on the first play went for 59 yards and put Houston at the 29-yard-line. However, the Texans' offense sputtered after that and the field goal unit came on the field. Kris Brown's 28-yard attempt was blocked by Antwan Odom.

After forcing the Bengals to punt, Houston marched right back down the field with an 11-play drive. An 18-yard pass to Daniels helped set up a 4th-and-1 at the Cincinnati 13. With the blocked field goal still fresh, the Texans kept the ball in Schaub's hands. Following a successful quarterback sneak, Schaub hit Daniels with a 12-yard TD pass for a 7-0 lead with 48 seconds left in the first period.

The Bengals responded with a touchdown of their own to tie the tilt. A 23-yard Ochocinco catch and a 10-yard Benson TD run bookended an eight-play drive that ended with 11:33 to go until half.

On the seventh play of the ensuing Houston possession, Slaton took a beautifully designed screen pass 38 yards for a TD and a 14-7 edge with 7:59 left.

Cincinnati scored a TD late in the half to deadlock the contest at 14-14. A 50-yard pass to Ochocinco set up an eight-yard Coles TD catch with 48 ticks remaining. Moments later, Chris Cocker picked off a Schaub pass. Shayne Graham then drilled a 50-yard field goal as the half expired for a 17-14 lead.

On the second play of the third frame, Slaton rushed for four yards before fumbling the ball. But the play was reviewed and reversed after it was determined Slaton's knee was down before the ball came out. Five plays later, Schaub used a play-action pass to find Jacoby Jones in the end zone for a 23- yard score and a 21-17 margin.

Game Notes

Schaub threw one interception...Slaton also rushed for 43 yards on 19 carries...Coles had four catches for 40 yards...Cincinnati is 3-2 all-time against Houston. The Texans beat the Bengals 35-6 when the clubs met in Week 8 of last season at Reliant Stadium...This was the first time a Houston-based NFL franchise won in Cincinnati since the Oilers were 30-27 overtime winners at Riverfront Stadium in 1996...Bengals defensive end Odom was carted off the field after injuring his left Achilles' tendon in the first quarter...The Bengals host the Bears next Sunday, while the Texans welcome the 49ers to town.