Bengals vs. Texans 2014 final score: 3 things we learned from Cincinnati’s 22-13 win

The Houston Texans defense did its job, but the offense couldn't hold up its end of the deal as the team fell, 22-13, to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Texans, playing without an injured Arian Foster, mustered just 248 yards and failed to find the end zone on offense. The team's only touchdown came on a pick-six in the third quarter, a play that cut the Bengals' lead to three and looked like it had put the Texans in position for the comeback.

But the offense continued to falter, and Mike Nugent banged two field goals through in the fourth quarter to make it a two-possession game again. Nugent's 49-yarder with 1:55 remaining was the play that iced the game.

1) Ryan Mallett had a rough day.

Mallett wasn't as sharp as he was in his debut last week against the Browns. He struggled with his accuracy, consistently throwing high as he went 21-for-45 for 189 yards. He also threw a back-breaking interception on the first drive of the second half that the Bengals turned into seven points and a 16-3 lead.

Mallett has the arm strength to be an elite level NFL quarterback, but his accuracy and decision-making still need some polishing. However, keep in mind that even as a four-year vet, he spent most of his career as a backup to Tom Brady so this starting quarterback thing is still a bit new. His efficient outing last week against Cleveland (20-of-30 for 211 yards and two scores) was a promising sign, so Texans fans shouldn't be too down about his rocky outing against the Bengals, a team that ranks in the top 10 in interceptions this season.

With the Houston offense struggling, the defense took it upon themselves to get in the end zone. With 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Johnathan Joseph grabbed an errant throw from Andy Dalton and rumbled 60 yards for a touchdown. That score gave Houston new life and pulled it to within three points, 16-13. But that was the only major mistake by Dalton, who went 24-of-35 for 233 yards and a touchdown.

3) Jeremy Hill has earned more carries.

Giovani Bernard returned from a three-game injury absence, but that didn't mean that Hill was being put on the shelf. The rookie, who averaged 120 rushing yards in three games as the fill-in starter, got 18 carries and went for 87 yards, a touchdown and a 4.8-yard per carry average. That was one more carry than Bernard, who only ran for 45 yards but showed enough burst to suggest he's over his collarbone and hip injuries. It will be interesting to see what the carry distribution looks like next week -- will Bernard get more as he continues to heal or will the rookie keep getting more of the ball?