Another Sixty Minutes with Me-Real Time Instant Analysis of Chiefs-Texans
The hype machine is turned up to 11 as we get set for the Chiefs and the Texans. For once, it is warranted as the two best young quarterbacks in the game (if we even have to use the disclaimer of young) get set to square off. The QB competition between Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson was organically created when Chief chose Mahomes ahead of the Texans star, and was further set up when Mahomes and the Chiefs offense actually looked mortal in a loss to the Colts, while Watson threw five touchdowns and the Texans eclipsed fifty points in their previous game
A win by Houston would actually push the Texans ahead of Kansas City in the AFC playoff pecking order. If the Chiefs prevail, they would quiet the weeklong angst in the city, and also mean that the Chiefs would have a win against the two other teams most likely to be challengers in the AFC after the Patriots, these Texans and the Ravens. The injury-riddled Chiefs do get Tyreek Hill back today, but Sammy Watkins is inactive.
The potential game plans also tosses in extra intrigue. The prescription to challenge the Chiefs has been clearly set. Run the ball, control the clock, and limit Mahomes chances. But after lighting up the sky in their game against the Falcons, would the Texans want to play it that way.
The Chiefs get themselves immediately into a third and long, but rip a fifty two yard pass to Damien Williams set up by a dandy pick by Travis Kelce that Bill O’Briens challenge can’t get overturned. But the Chiefs go into penalty overdrive (one a classic makeup on Kelce), and end up with another third and long in Texans territory. Third and 21 is never impossible for the Chiefs. Mahomes sees offside and knows he has a free play, and heaves it towards Hill near the end zone. An otherworldy leap by Hill combined with Mister Magoo ball skills by the Texans add up to an electrifying touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Big trouble pops immediately for the Texans as training camp Chief Carlos Hyde gets stripped by Frank Clarke. But the Chiefs are having a holding epidemic, and they can’t convert every third and a million and have to settle for a field goal, and a nice ten points early that seem vital since Mahomes is under duress on every dropback.
Hyde shakes off his fumble and fuels a drive for the Texans as the run game of an opponent is established again. But Will Fuller not being able to hang on to a TD throw, and the Chiefs D responding on third down, turned the response drive into just a field goal. 10-3. Flags are flying all over the place, most against the Chiefs, who late in the first quarter are on a pace to commit 36 penalties. One can only hope that they don’t have an NFL record by the end of the day.
But other things are going well, even with Mahomes under siege on every dropback. The Chiefs can’t protect Mahomes without holding, but it doesn’t matter as Hill is creating space on the outside, and quick screens are killing the Texans. They may be on a record penalty pace, but when Damien Williams waltzes into the end zone on a screen pass, they are also on a seventy point pace. Thirteen points last week, seventeen in the first quarter this time around, and a two touchdown lead that often has seen opponents ditch the running game.
But the Texans aren’t biting, and their running game is setting up easy throws, and despite Fuller missing connections on another potential touchdown, the Texans cruise for an easy touchdown. Making extra points is not as easy for Ka’Imi Fairbarn, who misses his fourth of the year, and a little momentum is stolen. 17-9 Chiefs.
The Chiefs are holding on offense constantly, but the Texans are doing the same on D. But a PI is overruled on a Mahomes interception, and the tennis match feel of the game is slowed for the moment. The Chiefs being blunted has kept Houston in the same mode which works all the time against the Chiefs. Lots of running, short throws on a painfully easy touchdown drive that was a replica of the other one by the Texans. 17-16.
Carlos Hyde is caught on camera after his walk-in touchdown screaming “They can’t f###ing stop us!!!”. He also could have added. “We can’t f###ing stop them!!!” Well, not until they reached the Houston forty, and then Harrison Butker missed a fifty yard field goal. A crazy series of plays ensues. Watson throws a pick on 4th down, but the stress on Mahomes finally costs them as he is stripped, and Watson jogs in for a leading TD. A wild half ends with Arrowhead quiet and the Chiefs trailing 23-17..
The Texans get the ball coming out of the half, and they keep the mood pensive in Arrowhead with a mix of runs and passes that moves it to the Chiefs thirty. But the defense stiffens, and then Fairbairn, who might not have a job come tomorrow, misses again, and it’s still a one score game. The Chiefs jump on the opening. Despite Mahomes clearly being compromised by tweaking his ankle again in the first half, the Chiefs move it sixty four yards to a 24-23 lead on another third down conversion to a shockingly wide open Tyreek Hill. Party mood back on at Arrowhead.
But the Chiefs run defense can throw a turd in any punchbowl. Carlos Hyde goes over one hundred yards as the Texas roar into the red zone. But the Chiefs get a break, and then make a play. Deandre Hopkins drops a pass that likely would have been a toichdown and at the worst set up first and goal, and then Watson hopes for magic from his as he lobs into double coverage, but it’s Charvarious Ward who makes the play, a one handed interception, and the lead is preserved as the third quarter ends.
The Chiefs go three and out, and Houston again is pounding the rock, but they are also making mistakes, which is a theme in this game for both teams. Three penalties negate big gainers, but despite that they get a first and goal at the one. What are the odds the Chiefs are going to hold up to that….zero.. Watson makes a great individual play to dive in. The 93-yard-drive has eaten up much of the quarter, and they tack on a two point conversion, so it’s a full seven point difference 31-24.They never face a third down situation on the drive.
Another untimely three and out follows. The Chiefs didn’t punt the first eight times they had the ball. It’s Houston’s game to grind out with a running game that hasn’t been stopped all day. The Texans tick off a couple of first downswith Watson mixing in some nice passes. But finally the Chiefs stop the run, and on fourth down at the two minute warning. O’Brien opts not to send Fairbairn out, and the gutsy call pays off as Watson hits Hopkins on a third down play for the umpteenth time. Ball game.
The Chiefs have now lost back-to-back games at home for the first time since Andy Reid’s first year and the prescription was almost identical to last week. Close to two hundred yards rushing by the opponent. The Chiefs had the ball less than six minutes in the second half. They committed ten penalties. There are problems all over the place right now. The Chiefs can certainly solve some, but others seem intringent. They are banged up, that can get better. But fully healthy they let teams run the ball down their throat, and they are doing a miserable job of protrecting Mahomes.
They have just three days to get right. They don’t have to be great to beat Denver, but they certainly need to be better. The Texans hardly played a perfect game. They had ten penalties. They dropped multiple passes including three that might have been touchdowns, anf they still beat the Chiefs.
Last week’s loss tasted bad. This one will have Chiefs fans nauseous. There may have been overreaction last week, but that won’t be the case this time. Invincibility to vulnerability in two short weeks. Pretty amazing