It didn't take long for Alfred Blue to find the end zone.
27 minutes and 51 seconds, to be exact.
But Blue didn't bull his way in on offense. He did it via a blocked a punt.
"I just put the up-and-under on him," Blue explained. "I did what the coaches taught me to do. I put my hand out there and he punted it right into my hand, so I just scooped and scored."
On 4th-and-seven at the Washington 24, with 2:15 remaining in the first half, Washington's Tress Way
had his punt blocked by Blue.
"I honestly think he could have picked it out of my hand instead of blocking it," Way said. "But give credit to that guy because he did a great job."
Blue's touchdown helped propel the Texans to a 14-6 halftime advantage. He wound up with one carry for no yards at running back, so his role on special teams was important.
"The coaches have high expectations for you on special teams when you are not in there on the offense," Blue said. "You just need to go out there and make plays."
Head coach Bill O'Brien's made it clear the importance of special teams, and reiterated that idea in the postgame press conference.
"They've done a really good job of understanding their roles on special teams, and understanding how that can affect the game," O'Brien said.
Defensive end J.J. Watt blocked the Washington extra point attempt in the first half. It's the first time the Texans have blocked a kick and a punt in the same game since November 23, 2003 against New England.
