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Former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson played in his third game as a Cleveland Brown — and first home game with his new team — on Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens. That doesn’t have to mean throwing a lot of passes or blitzing aggressively. Instead, it’s about continuing to execute play calls at a high level — not to mention fewer bone-headed interceptions and a better second-half defensive effort. Houston's games against Jacksonville and Tennessee are still important. But in the simplest view of the Texans' season, it's hard to imagine a scenario where they go 2-0 against the Colts and don't ultimately find their way into the playoffs.
Houston's schedule will make it difficult to post the 13-3 or 12-4 record usually necessary to secure a bye in the opening round of the postseason. Winning the AFC South is a guaranteed playoff berth, regardless of record. After falling behind 24–0, Kansas City suddenly buried the Texans with an NFL playoff record 7 consecutive touchdowns and a field goal over their next eight drives, starting with a shocking 28-point second quarter.
Former Tiger finds new home in pro football
Watson and the Browns will return to action next Saturday, Dec. 24, when they play the New Orleans Saints in Cleveland. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
While that statistic can speak both to forcing turnovers and giving them up, Kansas City’s biggest factor is how few turnovers the defense is creating. In the previous four seasons with Mahomes as the starter, the Chiefs’ defense forced at least 22 turnovers each year. Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ offensive tackles have been a roller coaster in pass protection — but one that has been fairly predictable. Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.’s struggles usually come against edge rushers that can fly upfield quickly — or get low and turn the corner cleanly. If the Chiefs’ edge rushers can find success, it won’t be they were facing a team with only one win on the season.
Houston Texans and partners award $400,000 to 15 local nonprofits through Inspire Change Grant Funds
It’s understandable to let off the gas pedal against a poor team, but the Chiefs will continue to face those scenarios in the regular season — including against Houston on Sunday. The 2019 season was the Houston Texans' 18th in the National Football League and their sixth under head coach Bill O'Brien. It also marked the first full season without the ownership of Bob McNair, who died during the 2018 season. It was, however, the first season of full ownership of both Janice McNair and D. For the first time in franchise history, the team played in London, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. On June 7, 2019, the Texans fired general manager Brian Gaine after only one season.
Now might not be the best time to take Kansas City against the spread since they've let down bettors for the past two consecutive games. The Texans and Colts seem like they're a step ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans, at least on paper at this stage of the offseason. So their head-to-head games will go a long way in determining the division champions, especially if either side pulls off a sweep. If the Texans end up falling short of expectations in 2019, a tricky slate could prove to become a major factor.
Houston Texans Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info
J. McCarron starting at quarterback, his first start since 2015 when he played for the Cincinnati Bengals. During the third quarter, quarterback Deshaun Watson made the 50th touchdown pass of his career on a 15-yarder to tight end Jordan Akins. Two days after the game it was announced that the Texans had traded star defensive player Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks. The Texans received defensive ends Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin along with a 2020 third-round draft pick. Clowney was franchise tagged in March as a linebacker, but refused to sign the tag as he thought he should tagged a defensive end. Houston tried trading Clowney to the Miami Dolphins earlier in the week, but since Clowney had not signed his tag he had final say on where he would be traded to.
The Texans return home in Week 8 to face the Oakland Raiders on October 27. In Week 9, the Texans will travel to London to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, which marks the first time the Texans will play in the U.K. Houston's international game is immediately followed by a bye in Week 10. In recent games, the Chiefs seemed to have found the right way to use running backs Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon.
Mahomes finished the game 23/35 for 321 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. Kelce had 10 catches for 134 yards and three touchdowns, tying a Super Bowl-era postseason record. Williams rushed for 47 yards, caught 2 passes for 21 yards, and scored 3 touchdowns. Watson threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns, while DeAndre Hopkins had 118 yards on nine catches. Running back Lamar Miller was injured on the second play of the game, tearing both his ACL and MCL. The Texans' offensive line struggled all game, giving up 8 sacks for a loss of 38 yards.
On the Saints' second drive, Drew Brees was intercepted in the red zone by Whitney Mercilus at the Houston 4-yard line, returning it for 2 yards. On the first play following the turnover, Deshaun Watson threw a 54-yard pass to Will Fuller; the drive ended with a 21-yard touchdown run from Watson. The Texans took a one-point lead with 37 seconds left in the game, only for the Saints to drive downfield and kick a 58-yard field goal to win the game.
Among those leading the charge for Kansas City was RB Jerick McKinnon, who caught seven passes for two TDs and 112 yards. That receiving effort made it the first game that McKinnon has posted more than 100 yards receiving. After both teams punted on their next drives, Chiefs returner Tyreek Hill muffed the ball inside his own 10-yard line which was recovered by Keion Crossen for Houston. Two plays later, Watson found tight end Darren Fells in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown and a 21–0 lead late in the first quarter.
Speaking of things to improve on before the playoffs, the Chiefs’ defense needs to find a way to create more turnovers. Right now, it’s the main difference between this team and those of other recent seasons. The team’s minus-5 turnover margin is the lowest mark since head coach Andy Reid arrived in 2013. While there are still four games left in the regular season, none of the remaining opponents will provide the same level of challenge that Kansas City will face in the playoffs.
The Texans attempted to match their 11–5 record from 2018 despite trading defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks for a 3rd round pick and two players. However, they lost their third straight season opener to the New Orleans Saints. With a Week 16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Texans clinched the AFC South for the fourth time in five seasons and their sixth overall division title. With the victory, the Texans also clinched their second 10-win season under O'Brien even though they failed to match their 11–5 record from last year. Houston will go on the road for two consecutive road games in Weeks 6-7 as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The former has the fifth-most rushing yards by an NFL running back since Week 10, while the other racked up 112 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Denver last week. The Texans have committed 22 turnovers this season, which is the league’s second-highest total. Kansas City’s defense needs to use this game as a confidence booster, helping it to start making more plays down the stretch. An interception or a forced fumble would be a nice thing to see on Sunday. In Week 14, the Chiefs took a 27-0 lead over an inferior opponent — but then, in the second half, they allowed the lowly Denver Broncos to come within a touchdown of winning.
Mahomes then threw his third touchdown pass in less than four minutes, and his second to Kelce, to make the score 24–21. Then Watson rushed for 5 yards, Stills caught a pass for 10 yards, and Hyde rushed 4 yards to the Bills' 44-yard line. On the next play, Watson evaded a sack attempt by two Buffalo defenders and fired a short pass to reserve running back Taiwan Jones, who took off for a 34-yard gain to Buffalo's 10-yard line. Fairbairn then kicked a 28-yard field goal to give Houston the victory. The Texans received the opening kickoff, with their first team offense marching down the field with the drive ending with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson to DeAndre Hopkins. Jordan Ta'amu also saw some play at quarterback, finishing 1/1 for 3 yards.
After two divisional games that ended as victories, the (10-3) Kansas City Chiefs have put themselves in a position to clinch the AFC West this weekend with a win over the (1-11-1) Houston Texans. The Chiefs entered the weekend as 14-point favorites, according to DraftKings SportsBook. Kansas City is the favorite in this one, with an expected 14-point margin of victory.
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