Official Texans @ Chiefs Game Thread, 9/10/2020
 

Well it's almost here. This Thursday night, the Texans visit the Chiefs at Arrowhead to kick off the 2020 NFL season.

Forgive me for the abbreviated coverage, but I've been so far removed from football lately, that I don't know quite what to expect.

The Chiefs are favored by 9 to 10 and I'll be tuning in just to see how all this is gonna work this year. The Texans can do a lot for fan confidence if they pull off the upset however, I'm not holding my breath. No preseason games, little coverage of training camp and unfamiliarity with the roster (although a lot of familiar names still here) so I think most of us have some catching up to do. It will be a first look at the drafted rookies. Find the Texan roster here.

NBC will carry the game at 7:20 CST.

Such a totally weird year in so many ways so not surprising that also goes for the NFL in 2020.
Not even a set of intersquad scrimmages with another NFL team, let alone a preseason game or two to give us a preview so we will be seeing it altogether for the first time this year Thursday night.
And a new DC and a new OC. I have no idea what to expect ?

Brandin Cooks downgraded to questionable for his quad. I have not kept up with preseason injuries, so I am unsure how serious this is, but Cooks is another WR with a history of missed snaps. Hopefully he is just limited in practice this week so he is a full go on Thursday but who knows. :confused:

On the flip side, Will Fuller is NOT on the injury report. With Hopkins gone to Arizona, having these WR options (including Cobb and Stills along with Cooks and Fuller) healthy is what will make the offense dangerous. I have some faith that Watson is comfortable enough in the pocket to make his reads so long as he has something worth reading.

As for the game, as much as we want to see the offense, we all know it boils down to how well the Texans can slow down Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. And again, having not seen training camp or any preseason games, who knows. :confused: Big test for Anthony Weaver.

Here's the roster updates for September:

They waited till the last minute to keep Weeks. Hmmm....

Gareon Conley and rookie Isaiah Coulter to IR....

Update on Cooks, which is somewhat encouraging I suppose.

You can call this game in your sleep:

When Texans have the ball: Watson runs around on third down like a chicken with its head off and looking frantically for #10. After realizing this is 2020, he'll complete some short stuff or take off running or get sacked, mostly the last two.

When Chiefs have the ball: Have you ever watched a hot knife go through butter? This will be faster. Mahomes will calmly look for #10 (since there's no rush) and hit him or Kelce repeatedly like this was a practice.

Predicted score: Chiefs 48, Texans 20.

The Texans had a good game plan for their regular season match-up last season... they held possession and ran the ball, keeping their defense off the field and from getting gassed. And in the playoffs, they did jump to a 24-0 lead before O'Brien, well O'Brien'd it.

So I agree the Chiefs will be the predictable aspect of this game. It's anybody's guess as to how the Texans play. They were game in New Orleans for last year's opener, and Watson is a prime time player. O'Brien seems to start slow out of the gates though.

O'Brien in openers:
2019 L @ NOS 28-30
2018 L @ NEP 20-27
2017 L vs JAC 7-29 (Savage started this one before giving way to Watson at the half)
2016 W vs CHI 23-14
2015 L vs KCC 20-27
2014 W vs WAS 17-6

I'm not going to bitch about this all season, I promise, but I have never been less interested in an upcoming football season in my life. I'll probably watch the game tomorrow, but I can't imagine I'll watch any others. They have no other prime time games, do they? I think I remember that this is their only one.

A single public humiliation is more than enough, I guess.

I'm just the opposite. I see no need to see the Texans get flogged like this was Alabama vs. Rice. I'll wait until they face a more equal opponent - like the Jags.

Sounds like they will allow 17K fans into the stadium.

NFL ready to take center stage during pandemic with Texans-Chiefs.

Cooks is active. Keke Coutee is not.

David Johnson looking good so far.

Still in the 1st qtr. Texans driving and in FG range at the Chiefs 19.

Chiefs had a TD called back as incomplete.

David Johnson runs it in for the TD! 19 yards.

Texans 7, Chiefs 0

4:54 left in the 1st qtr.

S Justin Reid with the pass breakup to force the Chiefs TD incompletion... needed to be reversed on replay, but nice play regardless.

Texans ate up some clock on their TD drive. Decent start on both sides of the ball. Going to be a long game though.

Chiefs answer with a 6-yard TD pass to Kelce.

Texans 7, Chiefs 7

14:13 left in the half.

Chiefs score on a short pass, 10 yards to Watkins but it may be short. Under review.....

Ruled short.

Two plays later, 2 yard TD pass to Watkins is good for the TD.

Chiefs 14, Texans 7

Texans getting smeared in time of possession: Texans 8:48, Chiefs 18:46

2:26 left in the half.

Yeah, time of possession looks bad - because it is - but the defense is giving a lot of looks to make the Chiefs corral their own offense from speading the ball downfield.

Conversely, the Texans have healthy speedsters in Fuller and Stills, and an apparently spry Cooks, and yet they have not taken any deep shots, either. Teams each feeling each other out in this half. I'd expect some changes from at least one of these offenses in the second half.

Texans have a chance to salvage a FG but Fairbairn is no good from 51.

Chiefs have the ball at their 41 with 26 seconds left in the half.

Chiefs don't waste any time moving the ball, a Texan penalty and Butker is good from 29.

Chiefs 17, Texans 7

Halftime.

Chiefs with 19 first downs in the first half.

Texans, Rockets and Astros all could lose on the same day. These guys really not helping my civic pride....

Edwards-Helaire runs it in from 27.

Chiefs 24, Texans 7

I think I liked it better when they scored fast against us. This is brutal just watching 10 straight successful plays.

3rd quarter ends with the Texans with the ball at their own 16 and 1st down.

Chiefs finally had to punt.

Chiefs 24, Texans 7

Watson hit as he throws leading to the first turnover of the game. Sneed returns it to the Texan 17.

Mahomes hits Hill for the 3 yard TD pass.

Chiefs 31, Texans 7

11:25 left in the game.

A very Bill O'Brien-y end to the first half was a harbinger of the familiar to come in the second half.

Let's remember the Chiefs are in fact, demonstrably good. But they have exposed several anticipated weaknesses of this roster that likely will not be rectified by Week 2.

19 yard TD pass to Akins. Fulton false started but the refs miss it.

Try for 2 pts. no good.

Chiefs 31, Texan 13

7:15 left in the game.

Watson runs to the left for a 1 yd TD run in stat padding time.

Chiefs 31, Texans 20

2:38 left in the game.

Chiefs run the onsides kick all the way back to the Texan 20.

Chiefs going for the FG with 33 seconds left.

Butker is good from 19.

Chiefs 34, Texans 20

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Texans don't do much with the ensuing kickoff.

Final score:

Chiefs 34, Texans 20

and it wasn't that close....

Randall Cobb was hardly a factor until the game was essentially out of reach. Just a reminder of what the Texans committed to him.

It's only the first game, but this cannot be what was in mind for GM O'Brien when he made this offer. Wonder what GM O'Brien had to say after the game to HC O'Brien.

Some players to keep an eye on:

Rookie CB John Reid (Penn St., Rd 4) saw a lot of action and was credited with 6 solo tackles.

Newcomer defensive tackle PJ Hall played 2 yrs with Oakland and was credited with 4 tackles, 1 TFL. Outstanding for a Texan DT.

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The Ravens are a 5 to 6 pt. favorite when they visit NRG two Sundays from now. So, they would be roughly a 11 to 12 pt favorite if the game took place in Baltimore....

Hall's goal line destruction of Helaire (with an assist to Watt) was one of the few highlights of the night. It was sad watching him hop up to celebrate and then quickly realize they were getting killed. Too bad he doesn't play for a real team where he can celebrate properly.

Texans WR corp 163 yards
Deandre Hopkins 151 yards

This should be an interesting race to watch this year. If Deandre wants to win, he'll need more garbage time opportunities like our guys got.

Speaking of garbage time, I had totally forgotten that Randall Cobb was on the team.

Recent transactions:

Pharaoh Brown is a former Cleveland Brown TE.

Fumagalli (pron: foom-ah-GOLL-ee) is a Broncos TE who was best used as an H-back. He got beat out by the unfortunately-named Jake Butt whose biggest accomplishment since being drafted by Denver a few years back was ducking a punch from a Titans LB on Monday night.

News has come in that NO Chiefs or Texans tested positive for COVID after Thursday's game. Before getting too excited about this, keep in mind the Texans defense was exercising social distancing with any Chief player who had the ball for the first three quarters so the results are not unexpected.