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

[Keith]

The Texans (1-11-1) will bring their rotating quarterback show back home on Sunday to face the Chiefs (10-3). They are literally hurting, with at least six starters already ruled out for the game, including RB Dameon Pierce.

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TV = CBS (channel 11 local), Sunday, noon CST, 12/18/2022

Announcers = Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

The line = Kansas City by 14.5

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Other Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (late) =Cincinnati @ Tampa Bay, Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX (late) = New England @ Las Vegas, Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

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Prime time:

TNF = San Francisco @ Seattle (Amazon Prime)

Saturday (noon) = Indianapolis @ Minnesota, Noah Eagle, Nate Burleson (NFLN)

Saturday (3:30pm) = Baltimore @ Cleveland, Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner (NFLN)

Saturday (7:15pm) = Miami @ Buffalo, Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez (NFLN)

SNF = N.Y. Giants @ Washington (NBC)

MNF = L.A. Rams @ Green Bay (ESPN)

[Keith]

Texans receive. Driskel at QB to start. Tytus Howard to LG for the injured Kenyon Green. Charlie Heck to RT. Mmmmmkay. You do you Texnans.

Driskel gets an 11-yd pass to Amari Rodgers first play. Drive stalls afterward, Mills did come in for a third down incompletion. 42-yd punt goes to Chiefs' 20.

Mahomes converts his first third down with a short completion to Travis Kelce then completes to him again for another first which makes Kelce #4 all time in receptions for a TE. Texans pass D will be challenged today missing both Stingley and Nelson. Drive stalls near midfield when Mahomes misses a wide open target. 45-yard punt that Desmond King returns 3 yards to the 15.

Texans 0, Chiefs 0
9:48 remaining in the 1st quarter

[Keith]

Mills at QB to start the second drive. Three and out. Weird third down play that the Chiefs sniffed out easily, taking down Rex Burkead in a poorly executed screen. Good punt, but Chiefs will begin their second drive from their own 40.

Big sack of Mahomes on first down as RB Isiah Pacheco whiffs on a block on blitzing LB Christian Kirksey. 11-yard loss. Drive is just a three-and-out as the Texans flush Mahomes from the pocket on third down. Front seven doing work as if it were the Chiefs moving their right tackle to left guard. King returns the 57-yd punt 13 yards to the 20.

Driskel starts the third drive with a keeper for 9 yards. Dare Ogunbowale dives for 2 and a first down. Mills subs in and finds Chris Moore for 35 yards down the right sideline to the Chiefs' 36. He finds Burkhead on third down for 17 yards and into the redzone. Mills' third down pass for Jordan Akins near the goalline is incomplete, but a flag for DPI on Darius Harris gives the offense a first on the 4-yd line. Driskel can't find a receiver and runs OB for a 4-yd loss.

TOUCHDOWN. Mills finds Teagan Quitoriano on 2nd and goal for the 8-yd score.

Texans 7, Chiefs 0
1:01 left in the 1st

[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

[Keith]

Mills keeps on first down for 4 yards. Next two passes are incomplete, but a 3rd down DPI keeps the drive alive. Flea flicker to Rodgers is a bit underthrown. Mills doesn't force a pass to his first option on a third down, instead finds Brevin Jordan for 9 and a new set of downs at the KC 46.

Freeman goes for 5, then for 6. He's making Ogunbowale look bad and Eno Benjamin totally forgettable. Mills picks out Rodgers for 15 to the 20. A pitch to Freeman gains 7, then a handoff gets the extra 3 for a first-and-goal. Offense is rolling.

Driskel-cat is back. He keeps the option and loses 2. Bad kitty! Chiefs are more prepared for the Driskel offense than the Cowboys were last week. Mills is almost picked in the endzone on 2nd down pass intended for Akins. Third down pass is batted away.

Ka'imi Fairbairn kicks the 29-yard field goal.

Texans 24, Chiefs 24
5:11 remaining

[Keith]

Short kickoff, but the return only gets to the KC 23, so whatevs. A couple Pacheco runs get the Chiefs to the 38. More big first downs as Mahomes passes to Kelce for 7. A couple short gains get the Chiefs to the HOU 49 for a 2nd and 8 at the two minute warning.

Pass complete to Juju for 4, Texans call timeout at 1:51. On 3rd and 4, Mahomes escapes the rush and runs 14 yards to the 31. Texans call second timeout, 1:45. Handoff to McKinnon loses 3, and the Texans use their final timeout, 1:41. Mahomes keeps on 2nd down for 3. Clock ticking on a 3rd and 11... screen to McKinnon loses a yard. Chiefs call timeout at 0:12.

Butker's 51-yard field goal attempt is NO good.

24-24
0:08 remaining in regulation. Texans kneel it out for overtime.

[Keith]

Kirksey meets former Texans S Justin Reid for the coin flip. Chiefs to receive.

Holding penalty is an afterthought after a 1st down completion to JuJu, then 7 more yards to Kelce to the KC 35. Another 14 to Kelce gets the Chiefs to the HOU 49. Four more yards to Kelce again.

SACK!!! On 3rd and 4, Blake Cashman drops Mahomes for a 12-yd loss to the HOU 45. Punt is fair caught by King at the 13.

Could it happen???

24-24,
5:34 left in OT

(and Michael Brantley just re-signed with the Astros! yesssss...)

[Keith]

FUMBLE.....Chiefs say they have it, and they do.

That's so Texans.

Mills scrambles, loses it, Willie Gay falls on it but it looks like Ogunbowale had it first. No replay?

McKinnon takes the next play to the house, 26-yard game-winning touchdown.

Texans lose, 24-30.

Some stats:

Mills 12/24 121 2 TD 0 INT 92.5 QBR (and 1 huge fumble)

Freeman 11-51
Mills 5-25

Moore 4-42
Rodgers 2-26
Akins 3-22, 1 TD

Harris 14 tkl, 3 TFL
Pitre 13 tkl
Kirksey 11 tkl, 1 sack

TOP 27:25 (incl OT, Chiefs had 37:22)