Chiefs vs. Texans Recap: What Was the Turning Point of KC’s Win?

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

7-0. The only unbeaten team left in the NFL in 2013. First place in the AFC West. After a 2-14 season these things are now a reality. It’s unbelievable. This chiefs team is the best team I have seen since 2003 when the Chiefs had the most dynamic offense in the league. Boy, things have changed huh? This last game versus the Texas was probably the only game so far that has taken years off my life. There were so many missed opportunities and close plays that could have lost them the game. There were many points in this football game where I thought for sure that the Chiefs were dead in the water, but then one man, stepped up and made the play of the game. This play was the turning point in the Chiefs victory over the Texans.

Case Keenum did not look anything like a third string quarterback against the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday. The rookie out of the University of Houston threw 25 passes, completing 15 of them for 271 yards and a touchdown to the Texans 2013 first round pick DeAndre Hopkins. Carrington Harrison of 610 sports said today that he felt that the crowd level versus the texans was at a seven point five out of ten while against the raiders he felt it was a ten out of ten. I agree. You could hear the diference between the games. That was a factor also because had the crowd been as hostile towards the Texans as it was towards the Raiders, things might have been different.

The turning point in this game came in the third quarter with the Chiefs leading the Texans 17-13. The Chiefs had the ball back after forcing a three and out and then on a running play Jamaal Charles fumbled the ball and the Texans recovered the ball at Kansas City’s 28 yard line. On the ensuing play, Keenum completed a 27 yard pass to Houston tight end Garret Graham and the Texans had 1st and goal from Kansas City’s one yard line.

On first and goal, the Texans tried a quarterback sneak play with Case Keenum that did not get enough to get into the end zone. On second and goal, the texans tried to run the ball into the endzone with fullback Greg Jones. Jones was blown up in the backfield by Kendrick Lewis of all people at the Chiefs three yard line. Then came my play of the game, the turning point in this game. It is depicted above. Marcus Cooper lines up opposite DeAndre Hopkins who was split out to the right. Keenum takes one step back after the snap and lofts up a fade for the athletic DeAndre Hopkins to go after. Hopkins gets up and grabs the ball, but at the last second cooper, the seventh round pick out of Rutgers, gets his hand in there and forces Hopkins to drop the ball. Instead of 20-17, the score only ended up being 17-16 and the game was saved. Two goal line stands against two AFC South teams.

Had the Chiefs not stopped the Texans here I feared they would have lost this game. The defense recovered after a turnover and a 1st and goal to force Houston to settle for three points instead of six.

What do you think Addicts? Was this your turning point in this game?