J.J. Watt notched his first 1.5 sacks of 2016, as well as five tackles, one for a loss, two quarterback hits, and a fumble recovery. Two other players had sacks, John Simon (1.5) and Benardrick McKinney (1.0), who had a team-high eight tackles with one for a loss and a quarterback hit.
Smith was just 20-of-37 for 186 yards. Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware rushed for 61 and 57 yards, respectively. Jeremy Maclin led the Chiefs receivers with six catches for 68 yards.
The Texans posted 351 yards of total net offense in the win, 254 yards passing and 97 yards rushing. Rookie Will Fuller had his second 100-yard performance in as many weeks, with four catches for 104 yards. DeAndre Hopkins led the wide receivers with seven receptions 113 yards, and one touchdown. Lamar Miller rushed for 83 yards on 25 carries. Brock Osweiler was 19-of-33 for 268 yards, one touchdown, but was picked off twice by cornerback Marcus Peters.
Both quarterbacks committed turnovers on their opening offensive series. Osweiler's pass, intended for Braxton Miller, was picked off at the goal line by Peters. Six plays later, the Texans would regain possession after Watt recovered a fumbled snap. DeAndre Hopkins caught a 27-yard touchdown pass on the next play to give Houston an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
The Chiefs were held to just one field goal in the first half. Watt's sack on Smith for a loss of four yards led to the 53-yard kick to cap off a four-play drive, minus-2 yard drive. The Chiefs trailed 7-3 at the start of the second quarter.
Lamar Miller's nine-yard gain extended a Texans' drive on fourth-and-1. Nick Novak added a 32-yard field goal as Houston took a 10-3 lead with 4:16 left in the second quarter.
Houston's defense forced fumbles on the final two Kansas City drives of the first half. With less than two minutes remaining, Quintin Demps forced a fumble on running back Charcandrick West. Kevin Johnson scooped up the ball and returned it 52 yards to the Chiefs 14-yard line. Novak's 32-yard kick extended the Texans lead to ten points.
On the following drive, Simon sacked Smith causing a third fumble. Whitney Mercilus recovered and Novak attempted a career-long 57-yard field goal but missed. The Texans led 13-3 at halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, both teams settled for a pair of field goals in the fourth quarter. Osweiler's pass, intended for Hopkins, was picked off a second time by Peters. Santos added a 43-yard field goal and one from 35 yards. Novak successfully made kicks from 31 and 43 yards. The Texans took a 19-9 lead with 2:56 left in the game.
Santos kicked a 30-yard field goal after a 10-play drive with 0:52 left in the game, to get within one score. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Texans.
The Texans improve to 2-0 on the season and will face the New England Patriots on the road in Thursday's primetime matchup.
The Texans defense dominated in the 19-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, forcing three turnovers and recording four sacks on Alex Smith. Houston, who recorded three defensive fumble recoveries in the first half for the first time in franchise history, did not allow a touchdown the victory.
J.J. Watt notched his first sacks (1.5) of 2016, as well as five tackles, two quarterback hits, and a fumble recovery. Two other players had sacks, John Simon (1.5) and Benardrick McKinney (1.0), who also had a team-high eight tackles with one for a loss and a quarterback hit.
The Texans held Smith to just 186 yards through the air. Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware rushed for 61 and 57 yards, respectively. Jeremy Maclin led the Chiefs receivers with six catches for 68 yards.
The Texans posted 351 yards of total net offense in the win, 254 yards passing and 97 yards rushing. Rookie Will Fuller V had his second 100-yard performance in as many weeks, with four catches for 104 yards. DeAndre Hopkins led all Houston wide receivers with seven receptions 113 yards, including one touchdown. Lamar Miller rushed for 83 yards on 25 carries. Brock Osweiler was 19-of-33 for 268 yards, one touchdown, but was picked off twice by the Chiefs.
Both quarterbacks committed turnovers on their opening offensive series. Osweiler's pass, intended for Braxton Miller, was picked off at the goal line by Marcus Peters. Six plays later, the Texans would regain possession after Watt recovered a fumbled snap. DeAndre Hopkins caught a 27-yard touchdown pass on the next play to give Houston an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
The Chiefs were held to just one field goal in the first half. Watt's sack on Smith for a loss of four yards led to the 53-yard kick to cap off a four-play drive, minus-2 yard drive. The Chiefs trailed 7-3 at the start of the second quarter.
Lamar Miller's nine-yard gain extended a Texans' drive on fourth-and-1. Nick Novak added a 32-yard field goal as Houston took a 10-3 lead with 4:16 left in the second quarter.
Houston's defense forced fumbles on the final two Kansas City drives of the first half. With less than two minutes remaining, Quintin Demps forced a fumble on running back Charcandrick West. Kevin Johnson scooped up the ball and returned it 52 yards to the Chiefs 14-yard line. Novak's 32-yard kick extended the Texans lead to ten points.
On the following drive, Simon sacked Smith causing a third fumble. Whitney Mercilus recovered and Novak attempted a career-long 57-yard field goal but missed. The Texans led 13-3 at halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, both teams settled for a pair of field goals in the fourth quarter. Osweiler's pass, intended for Hopkins, was picked off a second time by Peters. Santos added a 43-yard field goal and one from 35 yards. Novak successfully made kicks from 31 and 43 yards. The Texans took a 19-9 lead with 2:56 left in the game.
Santos kicked a 30-yard field goal after a 10-play drive with 0:52 left in the game, to get within one score. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Texans.
The Texans improve to 2-0 on the season and will face the New England Patriots on the road in Thursday's primetime matchup.
Check out the best photos from Sunday's game vs. the Chiefs!
