The Kansas City Chiefs started the defense of their Super Bowl title aptly by defeating the Houston Texans 34-20 in their season opener.
The Texans struggled to get anything going on offense and quarterback Deshaun Watson seemed to be seriously missing his favorite target DeAndre Hopkins, who the Texans traded to the Arizona Cardinals this offseason.
Watson threw one touchdown and one interception. A good sign for Houston, however, was that the player they got in return for Hopkins, running back David Johnson, looked healthy and strong, rushing for 77 yards and a touchdown.
The Chiefs looked as if they haven’t missed a beat since their Super Bowl win. Coach Andy Reid’s offense looked creative as ever, led by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes who threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns.
The game also introduced the Chiefs’ latest weapon on offense, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who the Chiefs drafted with their first-round pick. The explosive rusher from LSU ran for 138 yards and one touchdown.
The Texans, who blew a 24-point lead against Kansas City in the playoffs last season, took the lead early but once Mahomes got going, the Chiefs never looked back, scoring 24 unanswered points in the second and third quarters of the game and coasting to an easy victory.
