It sure felt good to be a Kansas City Chiefs player, fan, coach, or team employee today. After an opening kickoff return for a score that only took 11 seconds, the Chiefs never looked back as they took care of the Houston Texans 30-0 at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Today’s win is the Chiefs’ (12-5) first playoff win since January 16, 1994 when they beat the Houston Oilers 28-20 in the 1993 AFC Divisional Playoffs in this same city, but at a different venue which was the old Houston Astrodome (in usage by the Oilers from 1965-2000).
The Chiefs today didn’t even have to have a marvelous showing from their offense. All they needed was a suffocating defense (just 226 yards allowed) and for the Texans to make mistakes (5 turnovers).
The Texans (9-8) couldn’t get out of their own way and their quarterback BRIAN HOYER was under pressure (sacked three times) and he could never really get into a rhythm. Hoyer finished 15 of 34 for 136 yards and 4 interceptions.
Chiefs quarterback ALEX SMITH used his mind and his feet to aggravate the Texans’ defense and it worked. Smith went 17 of 22 for 190 yards, 1 touchdown pass and 1 pick. Plus he carried 5 times for 27 yards. He would have had 91 yards rushing, but a 64 yard run he had down the left sidelines in the third quarter was called back because of a holding call on Chiefs receiver ALBERT WILSON. 
Chiefs running back KNILE DAVIS took care of the first points of this game, when he took a Texans kickoff 106 yards untouched and down his left sideline for a score. The Chiefs took a quick 7-0 lead with 14:49 remaining in the first quarter.
That huge play by Davis, was the longest kickoff return for a score in Chiefs playoff history. The last time a Chiefs player did what Davis did was on January 11, 2004, when wide receiver/return specialist DANTE HALL took a kickoff 92 yards for a score.
Chiefs placekicker CAIRO SANTOS added to the Chiefs lead when he sent a 49 yard field goal straight down the middle of the uprights. The Chiefs took a 10-0 lead with 12:50 left in the second quarter.
Santos converted another field goal for the Chiefs from the exact same distance that he kicked his last field goal, with this one sailing down near the crossbar of the goalposts. With 7:06 left in the second quarter the Chiefs had a 13-0 lead.
By the way, by Santos making just one of those identical-distance field goals, he has the Chiefs record for the longest (49 yards) successful field goal in a playoff game.
But less than a minute later, Texans running back ALFRED BLUE (17 carries for 99 yards) took a Hoyer handoff and sped his way up field for a 49 yard gain to the KC 13 yard line where he was dragged down by Chiefs cornerback SEAN SMITH. That was the longest run of Blue’s two-year career in Houston.
But that huge Blue run didn’t set up an intended Texans score. Because on 2nd and 3 from the KC 3, Hoyer fired a pass right into the chest of Chiefs inside linebacker JOSH MAUGA at the KC 2, with the linebacker then proceeding to take the pick up field for 20 yards to the KC 22 yard line.
Late in the third quarter Chiefs rookie wide receiver CHRIS CONLEY made one of the most important catches he’ll ever make in his career. On 2nd and 8 from the HOU 9 yard line, he took his route to the back of the end zone where he caught a Smith laser-like pass. That was Conley’s only catch of the evening, but that scoring catch ended up helping to close the door on any Texans comeback. With 4:35 left in the third quarter the Chiefs had a commanding 20-0 lead.
Then on the first play of the fourth quarter, the Chiefs REALLY put the game out of reach when running back SPENCER WARE (16 carries for 67 yards and 1 score) took a Smith handoff, broke a JARED CRICK tackle in the backfield and then he used two blocks by center/guard ZACH FULTON and right guard JAH REID to scamper into the end zone. That 5 yard touchdown run by Ware gave the Chiefs a 27-0 lead with 14:56 left in the contest.
Super late in the fourth quarter the Chiefs closed out the scoring, when Santos took care of 33 yard field goal that almost didn’t make it over the crossbar. With near four minutes left in the game the Chiefs had a 30-0 lead.
Santos with that 33 yard successful field goal, tied a Chiefs record for field goals made in a playoff game with 3. He now shares that record with two legendary Chiefs kickers and a solid kicker in his own right in:
- NICK LOWERY (3 made on January 5, 1991; a 17-16 loss to the Miami Dolphins in the 1990 AFC Wild Card round).
- JAN STENERUD (3 made on January 11, 1970; a 23-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV).
- RYAN SUCCOP (3 made on January 4, 2014; a 45-44 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the 2014 AFC Wild Card round).
For the duration of the game, the Texans couldn’t muster any points and the Chiefs sat on their lead.
