With the reeling Texans traveling to face undefeated Kansas City, the game was supposed to be a blowout. But a surprisingly game Texans team kept it close throughout until a costly mistake finally cost Houston the game.
That mistake came when Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali drilled Texans quarterback Case Keenum from behind to force a fumble that Kansas City recovered, allowing them to run out the rest of the clock to seal a 17-16 win.
Keenum, who until this week was a third-stringer who had never played in an NFL game, turned in a solid performance in the first start of his career, playing very well against a tough Chiefs defense. Keenum completed 15 of 25 passes for 271 yards, with a touchdown and no interceptions.
But the Chiefs’ stout defense would turn out to be too much for the Texans’ offense in the end, and Keenum really began to feel the Chiefs’ pass rush late in the game. Kansas City pressures quarterbacks better than any other team in the NFL, and that was on display today.
And so the Chiefs improve to a surprising 7-0. Andy Reid has engineered a tremendous turnaround.
The Texans, meanwhile, stumble to a 2-5 record. But they might have just found their new quarterback.