Chiefs at Texans: Highlights, score, and recap

It was playoff rematch time in Texans and the Houston Texans got revenge on the Kansas City Chiefs thanks to an opportunistic defensive effort.

What a difference a year, free agency and a good draft make. Last season, the Kansas City Chiefs took a pair from the host Houston Texans, which included a playoff victory in the wild card round.
On Sunday, Bill O’Brien’s club administered a little payback and raised its record to 2-0 thanks to a hard-earned 19-12 win over their adversaries from the AFC West.

In last season’s playoff loss to the Chiefs, Bill O’Brien’s club was held to just 226 yards and were shut out by a 30-0 count. This time around, the Texans racked up 181 total yards by intermission and owned a 13-3 lead at halftime – the lone touchdown of the game in the first 30 minutes coming on Brock Osweiler’s 27-yard strike to DeAndre Hopkins.

Just as was the case last Sunday against the Chicago Bears, Houston’s newest quarterback was picked off on his team’s first series of the game – this time by cornerback Marcus Peters just inside the Kansas City end zone. Earlier in the drive, the fifth-year passer found rookie wideout Will Fuller for a 53-yard gain.

If you recall last season’s postseason debacle, then-Houston quarterback Brian Hoyer was responsible for all five of his team’s turnovers. In the first half on Sunday, Kansas City’s Alex Smith was sacked three times and was responsible for two of his team’s three lost fumbles before intermission.

All told, the Texans limited Andy Reid’s club to 291 total yards, racked up four sacks, totaled three takeaways (all in the first half) and four field goals.

But the Chiefs didn’t go quietly. Down 19-9 in the waning moments, the Chiefs thought they had narrowed the gap to three points after wideout Tyreek Hill took a kickoff 105 yards for a score. But the touchdown was brought back due to a penalty, Kansas City would settle for a fourth field goal and an attempt at an onside kick failed.

Highlights

Three Stars

1. DeAndre Hopkins

In last season’s regular-season loss to Kansas City, Hopkins pulled down eight passes for 99 yards and a pair of scores. On Sunday, the 2015 Pro Bowler was targeted 11 times and totaled seven receptions for 113 yards and the game’s only touchdown in Houston’s 19-12 victory. For good measure, the talented wideout recovered the Chiefs’ onside kick attempt to preserve his club’s victory.

2. Marcus Peters

Last season, Kansas City’s first-round pick tied for the NFL lead with eight interceptions and walked away with Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. On Sunday in the seven-point loss at Houston, Peters totaled seven tackles, picked off Brock Osweiler twice and knocked down four passes. For the second straight week, the Chiefs did not allow a second-half touchdown.

3. J.J. Watt

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year spent the summer healing up and was quiet in the season opener against the Bears, recording just one tackle. That all changed on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs as the six-year pro totaled five stops, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery as Houston exacted some revenge for January’s playoff setback.

must read: NFL Week 2: Picks and Predictions

Odds

Despite losing two games to the Chiefs at Houston a year ago, the Houston Texans are a 2-point favorite in this contest. The OVER/UNDER is a very manageable 43.

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Next Week

The Kansas City Chiefs return home to face the New York Jets. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans have a short week and play their first road game of the season, a clash with the New England Patriots on Thursday night in Foxborough.