WATCH: Texans CB Tavierre Thomas picks off Jets QB Zach Wilson

Houston Texans cornerback Tavierre Thomas picked off New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson in the first quarter of their Week 12 matchup.

Houston Texans cornerback Tavierre Thomas got a key takeaway against the New York Jets in the first quarter of their Week 12 game at NRG Stadium.

Thomas intercepted a pass that deflected off running back Ty Johnston. The interception of quarterback Zach Wilson setup Houston in New York territory, and ultimately led to a Texans touchdown on the ensuing drive.

The emphasis on takeaways is what defensive coordinator Lovie Smith has preached since he was hired earlier this year.

“The takeaways, I just know that we preach it, we believe in it, and the guys believe in it,” said Smith. “I just don’t think you can say that you played a good defensive game unless you take the ball away. That’s not anything new, that’s how we’ve been for many years. It matters when you look at the reason why a team won, you look at turnover ratio, it kind of tells you about an awful lot. We know our part in that, of taking the football away, so the guys are doing a great job of that.”