Chiefs dominate Texans 30-0 for first playoff win since 1994

Facing their own playoff drought, the Kansas City Chiefs had little trouble ending a 22-year run without a postseason win by thumping the Houston Texans 30-0.

And Hopkins was kept out of the end zone Saturday after catching nine passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns the first time he faced Peters, in the Chiefs’ 27-20 season-opening win over the Texans.

The Chiefs, who arrived in the playoffs on the back of a 10-game winning streak, made the ideal start when Knile Davis returned the kick-off 106 yards for the score and send the capacity crowd at Houston’s NRG Stadium into silence.

The running game was steady and systematic, pounding out yard after yard against a Houston defense just got more and more exhausted as the Kansas City offense held the ball for 34:25 of game time. The loss lowered their record to 2-2 and led Belichick to repeatedly say, “We’re on to Cincinnati”, when asked about the stagnant state of his team a few days later.

Houston coach Bill O’Brien said he never considered benching Hoyer, but backup Brandon Weeden told a different story, saying he was warming up late in the game.

“I think Kansas City does a great job protecting the ball and taking advantage of the scoring opportunities, and then they’ve got a good rush, they’ve got a good front”.

The Texans finished with four turnovers by half-time, with the Chiefs leading 13-0 thanks to two field goals from Cairo Santos in the second quarter.

The Texans’ wildcat play with J.J. Watt and Vince Wilfork was the most lovely failure ever – SBNation.com The Texans put J.J. Watt and Vince Wilfork on offense, and the play was a disaster.

“We had talked about me going in there with Brian”, Weeden said. There is no definitive word regarding just how long Watt battled the groin injury, but it might have begun nagging at him long before Saturday’s game.

“We’ll enjoy it (Saturday night), and get right back on it”, Reid said of Saturday’s win.

Hoyer fumbled and threw an interception in the first quarter. Watt took the direct snap but had nowhere to go and lost a yard on his first career carry. And linebacker Josh Mauga had one at his own goal line to spoil a Houston drive. That can be fixed but the Chiefs were fortunate enough to get some really good news Sunday about Maclin. The Texans ranked 22nd in passing DVOA during the regular season and the Chiefs had the NFL’s fifth-best defense against the pass, so this matchup looked lopsided before the opening toss. The Kansas City are coming off the NFL’s first playoff berth in a decade.