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In 2018, Houston similarly took on that season's reigning Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, as part of a schedule that included just four playoff teams from the previous year. The main thing is to keep feeding Pacheco against a Houston defense that allows 4.8 yards per carry as a team. Kansas City's defense was a presence as well, as it embarrassed Denver's offensive line to sack the QB six times for a total loss of 49 yards.
Houston's schedule will make it difficult to post the 13-3 or 12-4 record usually necessary to secure a bye in the opening round of the postseason. Winning the AFC South is a guaranteed playoff berth, regardless of record. After falling behind 24–0, Kansas City suddenly buried the Texans with an NFL playoff record 7 consecutive touchdowns and a field goal over their next eight drives, starting with a shocking 28-point second quarter.
Former Tiger finds new home in pro football
The Kansas City Chiefs are staying on the road on Sunday to face off against the Houston Texans at 1 p.m. The Chiefs will be strutting in after a victory while Houston will be stumbling in from a defeat. In turn, the two most crucial games on the Texans' schedule are the meetings with Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts. More than anything, the Texans must take care of business at home because the road schedule is a gauntlet, especially with non-divisional opponents. A 6-2 mark or better at NRG Stadium would put them on pace to reach the postseason.
Frank Clark, Carlos Dunlap and George Karlaftis have scratched and clawed their way to combine for 11.5 sacks. So any pass-rushing production they can provide will be a positive. Kansas City have won five out of their last seven games against Houston. Houston will hope its minor additions paired with some new arrivals in the draft are enough to help push the franchise to new heights after never advancing beyond the divisional round of the playoffs. The Texans were the only home team to win during the Wild Card round. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.
Houston Texans and partners award $400,000 to 15 local nonprofits through Inspire Change Grant Funds
In all, Houston have three primetime games slated, barring flex scheduling. Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe. 5 things to watch as the Chiefs cap a 3-game road trip against the Texans Kansas City hopes to return from Houston with another win.
Now might not be the best time to take Kansas City against the spread since they've let down bettors for the past two consecutive games. The Texans and Colts seem like they're a step ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans, at least on paper at this stage of the offseason. So their head-to-head games will go a long way in determining the division champions, especially if either side pulls off a sweep. If the Texans end up falling short of expectations in 2019, a tricky slate could prove to become a major factor.
Houston Texans Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info
J. McCarron starting at quarterback, his first start since 2015 when he played for the Cincinnati Bengals. During the third quarter, quarterback Deshaun Watson made the 50th touchdown pass of his career on a 15-yarder to tight end Jordan Akins. Two days after the game it was announced that the Texans had traded star defensive player Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks. The Texans received defensive ends Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin along with a 2020 third-round draft pick. Clowney was franchise tagged in March as a linebacker, but refused to sign the tag as he thought he should tagged a defensive end. Houston tried trading Clowney to the Miami Dolphins earlier in the week, but since Clowney had not signed his tag he had final say on where he would be traded to.
Rather than risk a conversion, the Texans settled for Ka'imi Fairbairn's 31-yard field goal to go up by 24 four minutes into the second quarter. However, this would be the extent of their success, as they went on to be outscored 51-7 for the rest of the game. First, Mecole Hardman returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards to Houston's 42-yard line. Patrick Mahomes then threw a 25-yard pass to Kelce to get in the red zone before hitting running back Damien Williams for a 17-yard touchdown.
things to watch as the Chiefs cap a 3-game road trip against the Texans
Mahomes finished the game 23/35 for 321 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. Kelce had 10 catches for 134 yards and three touchdowns, tying a Super Bowl-era postseason record. Williams rushed for 47 yards, caught 2 passes for 21 yards, and scored 3 touchdowns. Watson threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns, while DeAndre Hopkins had 118 yards on nine catches. Running back Lamar Miller was injured on the second play of the game, tearing both his ACL and MCL. The Texans' offensive line struggled all game, giving up 8 sacks for a loss of 38 yards.
On the Saints' second drive, Drew Brees was intercepted in the red zone by Whitney Mercilus at the Houston 4-yard line, returning it for 2 yards. On the first play following the turnover, Deshaun Watson threw a 54-yard pass to Will Fuller; the drive ended with a 21-yard touchdown run from Watson. The Texans took a one-point lead with 37 seconds left in the game, only for the Saints to drive downfield and kick a 58-yard field goal to win the game.
Among those leading the charge for Kansas City was RB Jerick McKinnon, who caught seven passes for two TDs and 112 yards. That receiving effort made it the first game that McKinnon has posted more than 100 yards receiving. After both teams punted on their next drives, Chiefs returner Tyreek Hill muffed the ball inside his own 10-yard line which was recovered by Keion Crossen for Houston. Two plays later, Watson found tight end Darren Fells in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown and a 21–0 lead late in the first quarter.
Speaking of things to improve on before the playoffs, the Chiefs’ defense needs to find a way to create more turnovers. Right now, it’s the main difference between this team and those of other recent seasons. The team’s minus-5 turnover margin is the lowest mark since head coach Andy Reid arrived in 2013. While there are still four games left in the regular season, none of the remaining opponents will provide the same level of challenge that Kansas City will face in the playoffs.
The Texans attempted to match their 11–5 record from 2018 despite trading defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks for a 3rd round pick and two players. However, they lost their third straight season opener to the New Orleans Saints. With a Week 16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Texans clinched the AFC South for the fourth time in five seasons and their sixth overall division title. With the victory, the Texans also clinched their second 10-win season under O'Brien even though they failed to match their 11–5 record from last year. Houston will go on the road for two consecutive road games in Weeks 6-7 as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The former has the fifth-most rushing yards by an NFL running back since Week 10, while the other racked up 112 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Denver last week. The Texans have committed 22 turnovers this season, which is the league’s second-highest total. Kansas City’s defense needs to use this game as a confidence booster, helping it to start making more plays down the stretch. An interception or a forced fumble would be a nice thing to see on Sunday. In Week 14, the Chiefs took a 27-0 lead over an inferior opponent — but then, in the second half, they allowed the lowly Denver Broncos to come within a touchdown of winning.
After Houston went three-and-out on their next drive, they attempted a fake punt on 4th and 4 with a direct snap to Justin Reid who was tackled by Daniel Sorensen two yards short, giving Kansas City the ball at the Texans 33. Johnson was then called for pass interference to put the ball at the five before Mahomes hit Kelce in the end zone to cut the deficit to 10. On the ensuing kickoff, DeAndre Carter fumbled the ball due to a hit by Sorenson, and it went right into the arms of Kansas City's Darwin Thompson, who returned it to the Houston 6.
After two divisional games that ended as victories, the (10-3) Kansas City Chiefs have put themselves in a position to clinch the AFC West this weekend with a win over the (1-11-1) Houston Texans. The Chiefs entered the weekend as 14-point favorites, according to DraftKings SportsBook. Kansas City is the favorite in this one, with an expected 14-point margin of victory.
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