Sep 13, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) runs to the locker room after the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Football is back!! The Kansas City Chiefs recorded the first victory of the season in a fairly comfortable 27-20 win over J.J. Watt and his Houston Texans.
It was wonderful, first and foremost, to see the Chiefs back on the football field. It was even better to see such a dominant first-half performance. Alex Smith and his offense were rolling in an impressive display of a typical Andy Reid west coast offense. The defense were tough, forcing an interception on the first play, and the often overlooked special teams were excellent, providing the Chiefs with consistently good field position.
The intensity of the Chiefs play was lost in the third and fourth quarters, and the offense weren’t able to score another point after the half. However, the first half performance showed plenty of promise, and being 27-6 up midway through the second quarter often leads to complacency, something that Reid and his coaches must be wary of in future. All in all, the Chiefs have started the season well, and that is crucial given the tough early schedule.
There were many good performances in the Chiefs’ victory in Houston. Allen Bailey was excellent on the defensive front, recording two sacks and causing consistent problems for the Houston offensive line. On special teams, De’Anthony Thomas looked electric as ever, with an average punt return of 16 yards and looking as if he may return it to the house a couple of times.
Dustin Colquitt does what Dustin Colquitt does and Smith and the offense looked sensational in the first half, though it did tail off as the game wore on. A particular highlight on offense was the performance of Travis Kelce. Kelce’s 106 yards off six receptions and two touchdowns is outstanding output, and he is proving what many in Chiefs Kingdom already knew; he is a huge mismatch at tight end and a receiving threat anywhere on the field. Jamaal Charles also looked back to his best after a banged up 2014, and the triple threat of Kelce, Maclin and Charles puts the Chiefs’ offense in good stead.
Next: The men on a mission...