KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Good morning, Texans nation.
I’m on the plane ride home as I slowly work my phone keyboard after a couple of hours of sleep following the Texans' big loss to the Chiefs on Thursday night. As I peek out of the window the sun is coming up, so it’s all good right? OK. The loss wasn’t pretty and painted a bleak picture about this offense and defense, but remember the Texans were seven-point underdogs and nobody gave them much of a chance to win. It’s an 0-1 start, but a lot of the season lies ahead and the back half is where they will pile up wins.
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That said, here are a few of my takeaways from the 48 hours I spent in KC. Let’s start with the food because that always makes me feel better after a bad loss.
1. The barbecue is different here but pretty tasty.
Chopped beef, spicy sauce, fried onion strings and horseradish on top hit the spot!
2. Back to football shall we?
Texans missed CB Gareon Conley and were forced to play three safeties quite a bit. That didn’t work out well in coverage most of the night.
3. Texans put zero pressure on Patrick Mahomes.
That was one of my keys going in. He had to feel some heat to force throws, and that never happened. When he has time, he kills you, firing away to his speedy WRs and TE Travis Kelce.
4. The new Texans WR corps were less than stellar.
Randall Cobb didn’t get his first target until the fourth quarter and wound up with only two catches. Kenny Stills was a non-factor, and Brandin Cooks was limited with a sore quad. The lone standout was Will Fuller V who had 112 yards receiving. When he is healthy he and Watson do damage.
5. First sample size of RB David Johnson receives a nice A-minus grade.
He showed he can be effective catching balls and, and he also did well running the ball. He had nice moves and attacked finishing with nearly 70 yards on the ground. It was a very good start for Johnson.
So it is an 0-1 start with the loaded Baltimore Ravens in town a week from Sunday in the home opener at NRG Stadium.
Time to regroup and stay laser-focused on the details. Improve and as Bill O’Brien often says, “Win the week!”
