Derek Stingley Jr. has been humming his way through a promising second season with the Houston Texans.
On Sunday, Stingley stockpiled yet another memento for his trophy case during his breakout campaign.
Just before the end of the first half, Stingley intercepted Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco in the end zone to save a touchdown. The Texans trail Cleveland at NRG Stadium 22-7 entering the third quarter.
The turnover marked Stingley's fifth interception in eight games this season. He is now tied for third in the league with interceptions behind Atlanta's Jessie Bates III, Baltimore's Geno Stone, and Dallas' DaRon Bland.
Stingley, the No. 3 pick in the 2022 draft, turned himself into a household name during the 2019 season at LSU, recording six picks while helping the Tigers post an undefeated season en route to a national championship.
His freshman campaign was a pivotal reason scouts loved the 6-foot cornerback's upside during the pres-draft process despite dealing with injuries.
Fully healthy for the first time in four years, Stingley has blossomed into one of the top young corners in the sport, joining names like Sauce Garnder and Devon Witherspoon. Last week against the Tennessee Titans, the sophomore defensive back recorded two pass breakups.
The week prior against the New York Jets, Stingley recorded five tackles. And before that, Stingley played arguably the best game of his young career, recording two interceptions and four pass breakups.
Entering Sunday, the Texans were one game behind the Browns (9-5) in the AFC playoff picture as the No. 8 seed. Cleveland remains two games behind the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North.
The Texans are also in a three-way tie with the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars atop the AFC South. Indianapolis is currently losing to Atlanta 20-10 entering the fourth quarter. Jacksonville plays at 3:05 p.m. against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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