Official Texans vs. Chiefs Game Thread, 12/18/2022

[Keith]

I'm facing Warren in our fantasy league playoff, and lucky him he has the Chiefs defense... thrilled the Texans scored.

Chiefs respond to end the first quarter with an 11-yd run by Pacheco off right tackle then a 18-yd run off left tackle.

Second quarter begins at the Texans' 46. Mahomes finds Juju Smith-Schuster on third down for 8 to the Houston 33. Noah Gray (the other TE) takes a short pass and runs 13 yards. Mahomes then finds Jerick McKinnon to the right sideline and he scampers the rest of the way for the touchdown.

Harrison Butker converts the extra point.

Texans 7, Chiefs 7
12:27 left in the half.

[Keith]

Touchback on the kickoff. Mills connects with Moore for a third down conversion to the 36. Reverse to Phillip Dorsett where the WR pulls up to pass, can't find anyone downfield, and wisely throws it away. Mills then misses Dorsett for a long completion on third down. 48-yd punt by Cam Johnston to Kadarious Toney, darts around on the return but is dropped at the KC 22.

FUMBLE! Pacheco loses the ball when he is met by Mario Addison at the LOS. Recovered by King at the 17.

Mills then scrambles on second down with lots of running room for the 17-yard touchdown. Extra point is good.

Texans 14, Chiefs 7
9:19 left in the half.

Do you believe in Christmas miracles?

[Keith]

Chiefs benched Pacheco following the fumble. Ronald Jones from McKinney, TX, gets the next carry. Mahomes drops the shotgun snap on second down and is thrown hard to the ground by Maliek Collins. Christain Harris with a good third down tackle in space forces the Chiefs to punt. Tremon Smith on the return this time. Texans ball at their own 22 following a 7-yd return.

Mills hands off on first down to Royce Freeman who gets 7 yards. Freeman then goes 11 on his second carry. Give it to him a third time for 6 yards. A fourth straight handoff to Freeman goes for 2. Sets up Driskel who only gets 1 yard at midfield on third down. Punt is fair caught by Toney, holding penalty moves the Chiefs back to their own 4-yd line.

Mahomes goes deep on first down, but the Texans catch another break when Justin Watson drops the ball at midfield after he had it hit both of his hands. Mahomes converts a 3rd-and-5 rolling right, throwing across the field to Kelce. Unnecessary roughness called on Kelce for being a redass after the 14-yd completion, so a net (-1) for the Chiefs there.

Chiefs are fired up though. Mahomes goes 13 yards to Gray followed by completions of 21 and 11 to McKinnon. Ball at the Texans' 44.

Two minute warning.

Texans 14, Chiefs 7

[Keith]

McKinnon carries for 8 yards on 1st down. Mahomes runs out of the pocket and keeps for 12. Kelce catches a pass for 12 into the redzone. Chiefs timeout, their second, comes at 0:26 remaining.

Mahomes throws to Gray between the hashes to the 4. Chiefs use their final timeout, 0:20 on the clock. 2nd and goal, Tremon Smith has a leaping PBU in the end zone. Mahomes finds a diving Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a touchdown.

Butker missed the extra point. Womp, womp.
Texans kneel out the final 0:14 of the half.

Texans 14, Chiefs 13
Halftime

[Keith]

Touchback to start the second half. Pacheco returns to the game, carries twice for a combined 12 yards to get a new set of downs. Some trickery, as McKinnon flicks back to Mahomes who throws it 15 yards to Smith-Schuster. Pacheco gains 12 yards up the middle to the Texans' 27, then takes a dump-off for another 11 to the 16. Chiefs are tearing up the defense on first downs this game.

On 3rd-and-4 from the 11, Collins has a beastly tackle on Pacheco, turning him to the ground around the neck for the stop as Pacheco's helmet goes flying.

Butker kicks the 27-yd field goal.

14-16, Chiefs
9:05 left in the 3rd

[Keith]

Touchback on the kickoff. Mills starts the drive, incomplete for Akins, then shuffles off to the sideline. Driskel has his pass deflected by DL Khalen Saunders. Mills' third down pass is incomplete to Burkhead, who looked like he was tackled before the ball arrived. No flag there. Johnston punts 52 yards OB to the Chiefs' 23.

Mahomes complete to Kelce for 18 yards to the KC 45. Jalen Pitre lit up Smith-Schuster but is flagged for unnecessary roughness on a helmet-to-helmet collision. It was a pretty violent head-on play. McKinnon has a 18-yard run negated by holding on Smith-Schuster.

Mahomes then goes back to Smith-Schuster who is rung up by Tremon Smith. McKinnon is charged with a blindside block on Harris on the play. Now 3rd-and 26, Chiefs moving backwards with these penalties, and the Texans doing some big boy hitting. Texans challenge the play as Smith-Schuster lost the ball on the tackle.

After review, FUMBLE! Recovered at Hou 36. The block penalty still applies, too. Heh. Enforced to the KC 49.

Mills to Akins for 7. Freeman carries for just a yard. On 3rd-and-2, Driskel-cat is back. Run is stuffed, but Chiefs flagged for offside. Meow, Driskel-cat!

On 3rd-and-5 from KC 31, Mills overthrows Akins, but DPI by Thornhill is flagged, and yet another penalty extends the drive.

Mills is flushed from the pocket on 1st down, inexplicably won't throw it away, but the Chiefs commit another penalty, illegal contact by Thornhill downfield on Dorsett. False start by Laremy Tunsil pushed the Texans to the 13. Mills completes to Akins for the touchdown. Another penalty on the Chiefs is declined, and the score stands.

Extra point is good.

Texans 21, Chiefs 16
1:25 left in the 3rd quarter

[Keith]

The Texans are fired up. Troy Hairston goes low on Pacheco on the kick return, hits him hard, but Pacheco holds on this time. JuJu catches the first down pass for 8 yards to the KC 25. McKinnon spins after contact and gets the first down with the second life. Mahomes completes to 13 to Kelce to the 41 as the 3rd quarter ends.

The Texans yet again have a lead to begin the 4th quarter. Those who want Lovie Smith gone after this season are probably going to be disappointed. The team sucks, but they play hard enough for Lovie to keep his job it seems.

Mahomes goes to JuJu for 13, across midfield, then 15 to Valdes-Scantling to the Texans' 29. A screen dump to McKinnon adds 13. Personal foul on Harris for going low on a blocker. That's bull, this 2022 NFL stuff. Puts the Chiefs on the 8. Mahomes scrambles left and beats the defenders into the endzone for the score.

Chiefs go for two. Shovel pass to McKinnon works.

21-24, Chiefs
11:57 left in the game