The New York Jets held Houston scoreless in the second half and quarterback Zach Wilson rushed for the go-ahead touchdown in his return to the lineup as the Jets defeated the host Texans 21-14 on Sunday.

Wilson was 14-for-24 for 145 yards with no touchdown passes and one interception after missing four games with a sprained right knee. However, his 4-yard touchdown run in the third quarter put the Jets (3-8) ahead to stay as they broke a three-game skid. Wilson was sacked four times.

Wilson's run was the only score of the half until Matt Ammendola kicked a 37-yard field goal with 3:34 left to give New York a 21-14 lead. Jets cornerback Bryce Hall broke up a fourth-down pass by Tyrod Taylor on Houston's next possession.

After the Jets punted the ball back, Houston (2-9) got possession at its own 20 with 20 seconds left but could not move the ball enough.

Taylor finished 17-for-26 for 158 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

New York regained the lead by marching 75 yards in 11 plays after receiving the second-half kickoff. Wilson went 3-for-4 for 35 yards on the drive, which appeared to have ended with a tying 34-yard field goal by Ammendola.

However, Houston's Ross Blacklock was assessed a leverage penalty for leaping onto the back of a teammate to try to block the kick. That gave the Jets a first down at the Houston 8.

After another penalty on Blacklock, this one for offsides, Wilson ran a read-option play and scored a 4-yard rushing touchdown for an 18-14 lead with 7:51 to go in the third quarter.

Houston went ahead 14-3 in the second quarter on two touchdown passes by Taylor.

The first one, a 13-yarder to Brevin Jordan, erased a 3-0 deficit. It occurred when Taylor beat a full blitz on third down and found a wide-open Jordan over the middle. On the second, Taylor threw deep for a 40-yard score to Brandin Cooks, who beat the Jets' coverage as Hall was cited for pass interference on the play.

But Wilson and the Jets responded.

Despite having his helmet and trademark headband ripped from his head on one play by Houston's Jaleel Johnson -- good for a 15-yard penalty on the Texans -- Wilson drove the Jets 70 yards in 10 plays to a 2-yard touchdown run by Austin Walter, just brought up from the practice squad.

Backup quarterback Josh Johnson's two-point conversion run reduced the Texans' lead to 14-11 with 1:13 to go in the first half.

--Field Level Media