HOUSTON _ The new-look Houston Texans didn't run the ball on the run-deficient Chiefs any better than they did in their wild-card game in January.
But the upgraded passing game _ as well as three lost fumbles and a subpar passing performance by the Chiefs _ sure did play a role in a 19-12 revenge win before an announced crowd of 71,890 at NRG Stadium.
In the wake of the Chiefs' 30-0 win over the Texans in January _ an embarrassing rout in which quarterback Brian Hoyer committed five turnovers _ the Texans signed a new quarterback, strong-armed gunslinger Brock Osweiler, and a new running back, stocky zone-runner Lamar Miller.
And while Miller was kept in check by the Chiefs _ he rushed 25 times for a middling 3.3 yards per carry against a team that allowed 4.8 yards per carry in Week 1 _ it was Osweiler and the passing game that made the difference.
Osweiler completed 19 of 33 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted twice by Marcus Peters _ who had a rollercoaster of a game, himself _ but on multiple occasions throughout the game, he did a nice job finding one of his speedy receivers for a timely reception, as star wideout DeAndre Hopkins caught seven passes for 113 yards and touchdown, while rookie Will Fuller caught four passes for 104 yards.
And it only took a few plays for Texans to prove this would not be like the wild-card game, when the Chiefs, now 1-1, were able to swarm Hoyer because of their inability to drive the ball down the field. On the fifth play of the game Sunday, the Texans took a deep shot to Fuller, who then split cornerback Marcus Peters and safety Eric Berry on a go ball for a 53-yard gain.
Houston could not finish the drive, however, as the Peters got his revenge with a diving interception in front of Hopkins near the goal line that kept the game scoreless.
But it would not be that way for long, as a high snap by Mitch Morse bounced off quarterback Alex Smith's hands and skidded all the way to the Chiefs' 27-yard line, where J.J. Watt dived on it to give the Texans the ball.
One play later, Osweiler found Hopkins on a fade near the sideline for a 27-yard touchdown. Peters was whistled for defensive pass interference on the play _ Peters argued he was interfered with _ but it was declined because of the score.
The teams then took turns going three-and-out until the Chiefs' Tyreek Hill broke off a 32-yard punt return, which set up a 53-yard Cairo Santos field goal that cut the score to 7-3 at the start of the second quarter.
At that point, the Chiefs' offense _ which struggled all game, accumulating only 186 passing yards _ seemed to become untracked a bit when Smith connected with tight end Demetrius Harris for a 30-yard gain over the middle on the next drive. Harris fumbled the ball, though, and the call was overturned _ a rare break for the Chiefs in the first half.
After the ensuing punt, Houston relied on its passing game to put together a 14-play, 69-yard scoring drive, as an emotional day for Peters continued as he was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct _ he waved his finger at Will Fuller after a second-and-5 incompletion from the Chiefs' 32-yard line. The Texans still had to settle for a field goal.
But the Chiefs, trailing 10-3, seemed intent on shooting themselves in the foot. Their next drive came to an abrupt end when running back Spencer Ware fumbled on the tail end of a 9-yard run. Texans cornerback Kevin Johnson dodged multiple Chiefs to return it 52 yards, to the Chiefs' 14, but the defense held firm, and the Texans had to settle for another field goal.
At this point, the Chiefs trailed 13-3 with about 1 minute, 15 seconds left in the half. And for all their struggles, they still had a chance to cut into that deficit at halftime. But their third turnover of the half would soon follow, as Smith who completed 20 of 37 passes for only 186 yards and was sacked four times, just one week after engineering the biggest comeback win in club history _ was strip-sacked by John Simon to essentially ended the half.
The third quarter was fairly uneventful, as both defenses dug in their heels. But at the end of the quarter, Osweiler _ who had just connected with Hopkins for a 35-yard gain _ was intercepted by Peters, who caught a deflection, when Osweiler tried to go right back to Hopkins.
The interception set up a 43-yard field goal by Santos that cut the deficit to 13-6 early in the fourth quarter. Houston answered with a field goal of its own, but Santos drilled another field goal _ this one from 35 yards out _ to make the score 16-9, Texans, with seven minutes, 34 seconds left in the game.
The Texans added another field goal with a little over three minutes left, but Hill provided a brief glimmer of hope when he returned the ensuing kick for a touchdown. An official called a penalty for a hold _ he did not say who _ which negated the touchdown.
The Chiefs mounted one final drive. But facing a second and 10 at the Houston 15-yard line, the Chiefs' starting tackles _ Mitch Schwartz and Eric Fisher _ each committed false start penalties that shortcircuited the drive. Santos made another field goal, but the ensuing onside kick was recovered by Houston, and the Texans ran out the clock to secure the victory.
It was a fitting ending to a game in which the Texans, 2-0, did just enough to win, and Chiefs simply could not get out of their own way.
