The third and final touchdown of the game for the Texans was a pitch-and-catch from Ryan Fitzpatrick to DeAndre Hopkins. And it's a throw the two have spent months practicing.
"I really couldn't see the ball," Hopkins said. "I just trusted Ryan to put it where it's supposed to be, and he did."
The second-year wide receiver caught the 12-yarder on the right side of the end zone, as the ball was right on him after he came out of his turn. He snared it, kept both feet in bounds, and staked the
The Texans faced the Raiders in Oakland in Week 2.
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt celebrates after catching a pass in the end zone for a touchdown in the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, center, celebrates after scoring a touchdown on a 5-yard run with teammates DeAndre Hopkins, left, and Derek Newton, right, in the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Beck Diefenbach)
Houston Texans' J.J. Watt catches a pass in the end zone for a touchdown in the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, left, carries the ball past Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Sio Moore in the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Houston Texans running back Arian Foster carries the ball for a 5-yard touchdown run as teammate DeAndre Hopkins (10) watches during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. At left is Oakland Raiders defensive back Chimdi Chekwa (35) and at right is Oakland Raiders free safety Charles Woodson. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick drops back to throw in the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Beck Diefenbach)
Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) celebrates after a 40-yard rush and is greeted by teammates tight end Ryan Griffin (84) and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. Texans tackle Derek Newton, right, looks on. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Texans to a 24-0 advantage with 8:29 remaining in the third quarter. The Texans' dominant effort, according to Hopkins, was a direct result of the work put in Monday through Saturday.
"Practice makes perfect," Hopkins said. "To go out and beat the Redskins like we did, and to come out this week, I think we had great preparation against these guys. We came out here and executed the game plan."
For Fitzpatrick, who completed 14-of-19 passes for 139 yards, Hopkins' acrobatics were impressive.
"That was awesome," Fitzpatrick said. "It was 1-on-1 coverage, and it was something we'd worked a decent amount on, just in terms of where that player is playing."
The Texans quarterback tossed another score to defensive end J.J. Watt in the first quarter, and finished with a QB rating of 129.1. But having receivers like Andre Johnson, and Hopkins, makes it a lot easier to be a quarterback, according to Fitzpatrick.
"With DeAndre, if you get it in his vicinity, he's going to catch the ball," Fitzpatricks said. "He's got those huge hands, and he did a great job bringing it down and keeping two feet in. But I threw that ball with a lot of confidence, knowing that he was going to come down with it."
Hopkins finished the day with three receptions for 22 yards, while Johnson logged six catches for 74 yards.
