2019 Houston Texans season

The 2019 season was the Houston Texans' 18th in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth under head coach Bill O'Brien. It also marked the first full season without the ownership of Bob McNair, who died during the 2018 season. It was, however, the first season of full ownership of both Janice McNair and D. Cal McNair. For the first time in franchise history, the team played in London, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. On June 7, 2019, the Texans fired general manager Brian Gaine after only one season.

2019 Houston Texans season
OwnerJanice and D. Cal McNair
Head coachBill O'Brien
General managerChris Olsen (interim)
Home fieldNRG Stadium
Results
Record10–6
Division place1st AFC South
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Bills) 22–19 (OT)
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Chiefs) 31–51
Pro BowlersQB Deshaun Watson
WR DeAndre Hopkins
OT Laremy Tunsil
AP All-ProsWR DeAndre Hopkins (1st team)
Uniform

The Texans attempted to match their 11–5 record from 2018 despite trading defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks for a 3rd round pick and two players. However, they lost their third straight season opener to the New Orleans Saints. Their first win came in Week 2 against the Jaguars. With a Week 16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Texans clinched the AFC South for the fourth time in five seasons and their sixth overall division title. With the victory, the Texans also clinched their second 10-win season under O'Brien even though they failed to match their 11–5 record from last year.

They defeated the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round 22–19 in overtime despite falling behind 16–0. However, they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional round 51–31 after giving up an early 24–0 lead.

Draft
Main article: 2019 NFL Draft
2019 Houston Texans draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 23 Tytus Howard  OT Alabama State
2 54[note 1] Lonnie Johnson Jr.  CB Kentucky from Seattle
2 55 Max Scharping  OT Northern Illinois
3 86 Kahale Warring  TE San Diego State
5 161 Charles Omenihu  DE Texas
6 195 Xavier Crawford  CB Central Michigan
7 220 Cullen Gillaspia  FB Texas A&M
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career
  1. No. 54: Seattle → Houston (PD). Seattle traded a second-round selection (54th) as well as a 2018 third-round selection (80th) to Houston in exchange for Houston's 2018 fifth-round selection (141st) and offensive tackle Duane Brown. This trade originally included cornerback Jeremy Lane but was revised after Lane failed his physical.

Staff
2019 Houston Texans staff
Front office
  • Principal Owner and Senior Chair – Janice McNair
  • Chief Executive Officer – D. Cal McNair
  • President – Jamey Rootes
  • General manager – Chris Olsen (interim) / Bill O'Brien
  • Director of football operations – Clay Hampton
  • Senior vice president of football administration – Chris Olsen
  • Executive Vice President of Team Development – Jack Easterby
  • Director of college scouting – James Lipfert
  • Director of pro personnel – Rob Kisiel
  • Assistant director of pro personnel – C.J. Leak
  • Senior advisor to the Head Coach and General Manager – Andre Johnson
  • Assistant to the head coach – Doug West

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams coordinator – Brad Seely
  • Assistant special teams – Tracy Smith

Strength and conditioning

  • Head strength and conditioning – Mike Eubanks
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Brian Cushing
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Joe Distor
  • Assistant strength and conditioning/Sports Science Coordinator – Jason George
  • Assistant strength and conditioning/Performance Therapist – Billy Voltaire

Final roster
2019 Houston Texans final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 active, 13 inactive, 10 practice squad

Preseason
Houston on offense against Dallas

The Texans' preseason schedule was announced on April 9. Exact dates and times were finalized on April 23.

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 August 8 at Green Bay Packers L 26–28 0–1 Lambeau Field Recap
2 August 17 Detroit Lions W 30–23 1–1 NRG Stadium Recap
3 August 24 at Dallas Cowboys L 0–34 1–2 AT&T Stadium Recap
4 August 29 Los Angeles Rams L 10–22 1–3 NRG Stadium Recap

Week 1: at Green Bay Packers
Week One: Houston Texans at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 0 10 01626
Packers 7 7 14028

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

In the first preseason game of the 2019 season, the Texans had trouble holding on to the ball and committed four turnovers. Keke Coutee fumbled the ball on a muffed punt that was recovered in the end zone by Equanimeous St. Brown for a Packers' touchdown. Taiwan Jones also fumbled and lost the ball while Joe Webb threw two interceptions. Despite the turnovers, Houston out-gained Green Bay in total yards 412 vs. 237. After being down 18 points, the Texans rallied in the 4th quarter but the comeback fell short, losing to the Packers by 2.

Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions
Week Two: Detroit Lions at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Lions 0 10 6723
Texans 10 7 31030

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

The Texans received the opening kickoff, with their first team offense marching down the field with the drive ending with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson to DeAndre Hopkins. Watson finished the game 5/7 for 60 yards and a touchdown. Jordan Ta'amu also saw some play at quarterback, finishing 1/1 for 3 yards. Joe Webb was in as Houston's quarterback for most of the game, looking improved from the previous pre-season game. The Texans' offense committed less turnovers, with the only turnovers being a Webb interception and a fumble by wide receiver Steven Mitchell.

Week 3: at Dallas Cowboys
Week Three: Houston Texans at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 0 0 000
Cowboys 17 10 7034

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

Running back Lamar Miller was injured on the second play of the game, tearing both his ACL and MCL.[1] The Texans' offensive line struggled all game, giving up 8 sacks for a loss of 38 yards. Deshaun Watson only saw brief playing time, fumbling the ball after being sacked by Taco Charlton; Watson would not re-enter the game after the fumble and did not attempt any passes. Joe Webb saw most of the quarterback play for Houston, throwing two interceptions and being sacked 4 times for a loss of 18 yards. Rookie free agent quarterback Jordan Ta'amu also saw play, completing 2 passes out of 5 attempts for 26 yards with no turnovers. Ta'amu was also sacked 3 times for a loss of 14 yards. The Texans only had 135 total yards with 4 turnovers while the Cowboys had 362 yards with no turnovers.

Week 4: vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week Four: Los Angeles Rams at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Rams 7 0 8722
Texans 7 3 0010

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: August 29
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 71,162
  • Referee: Walt Anderson (66)
  • TV: KTRK
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Two days after the game it was announced that the Texans had traded star defensive player Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks. The Texans received defensive ends Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin along with a 2020 third-round draft pick. Clowney was franchise tagged in March as a linebacker, but refused to sign the tag as he thought he should tagged a defensive end. Houston tried trading Clowney to the Miami Dolphins earlier in the week, but since Clowney had not signed his tag he had final say on where he would be traded to.[2]

Regular season

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue NFL.com
recap
1 September 9 at New Orleans Saints L 28–30 0–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
2 September 15 Jacksonville Jaguars W 13–12 1–1 NRG Stadium Recap
3 September 22 at Los Angeles Chargers W 27–20 2–1 Dignity Health Sports Park Recap
4 September 29 Carolina Panthers L 10–16 2–2 NRG Stadium Recap
5 October 6 Atlanta Falcons W 53–32 3–2 NRG Stadium Recap
6 October 13 at Kansas City Chiefs W 31–24 4–2 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
7 October 20 at Indianapolis Colts L 23–30 4–3 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
8 October 27 Oakland Raiders W 27–24 5–3 NRG Stadium Recap
9 November 3 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 26–3 6–3 Wembley Stadium (London) Recap
10 Bye
11 November 17 at Baltimore Ravens L 7–41 6–4 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
12 November 21 Indianapolis Colts W 20–17 7–4 NRG Stadium Recap
13 December 1 New England Patriots W 28–22 8–4 NRG Stadium Recap
14 December 8 Denver Broncos L 24–38 8–5 NRG Stadium Recap
15 December 15 at Tennessee Titans W 24–21 9–5 Nissan Stadium Recap
16 December 21 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 23–20 10–5 Raymond James Stadium Recap
17 December 29 Tennessee Titans L 14–35 10–6 NRG Stadium Recap

Notes

  • Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
  • The network and time for Week 17 are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling.

Week 1: at New Orleans Saints
Week One: Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 0 14 7728
Saints 0 3 141330

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

The Texans' offense started off slow, only gaining 15 total yards on their first two drives. On the Saints' second drive, Drew Brees was intercepted in the red zone by Whitney Mercilus at the Houston 4-yard line, returning it for 2 yards. On the first play following the turnover, Deshaun Watson threw a 54-yard pass to Will Fuller; the drive ended with a 21-yard touchdown run from Watson. The Texans took a one-point lead with 37 seconds left in the game, only for the Saints to drive downfield and kick a 58-yard field goal to win the game.

The Texans started 0–1, losing their third straight season opener. It was also the second straight road game that they had lost on a last-second field goal, after their Week 16 game against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018.

Week 2: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Week Two: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Jaguars 0 3 0912
Texans 3 3 0713

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

The Texans were leading 13–6 in the second half before the Jags scored a touchdown. However, the Jags failed on their two-point conversion attempt, which led the Texans to their first win of the season.

Week 3: at Los Angeles Chargers
Week Three: Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 0 7 14627
Chargers 7 10 0320

at Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California

Game information

During the third quarter, quarterback Deshaun Watson made the 50th touchdown pass of his career on a 15-yarder to tight end Jordan Akins.

Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week Four: Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Panthers 3 7 0616
Texans 0 3 7010

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

Week 5: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week Five: Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Falcons 7 10 01532
Texans 7 9 172053

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: October 6
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 71,787
  • Referee: Shawn Smith
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Sara Walsh
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Atlanta's defense struggled to contain Houston's offense, giving up 592 yards. Deshaun Watson passed for 426 yards with five touchdowns, only five incompletions, and no interceptions for a perfect passer rating.[3]

Week 6: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week Six: Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 3 20 0831
Chiefs 17 0 7024

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

This was assistant head coach Romeo Crennel's first visit to Kansas City in 7 years, where he served as their interim head coach for the final 3 Weeks of the 2011 season, most notably ending the Green Bay Packers' hopes of a perfect season that year, and was the Chiefs' head coach during the 2012 season.

Week 7: at Indianapolis Colts
Week Seven: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 0 9 7723
Colts 7 7 14230

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Game information

Week 8: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week Eight: Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Raiders 7 7 7324
Texans 7 3 31427

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

Week 9: at Jacksonville Jaguars

NFL London Games

Week Nine: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 3 6 10726
Jaguars 0 3 003

at Wembley Stadium, London, England

Game information

Week 11: at Baltimore Ravens
Week Eleven: Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 0 0 077
Ravens 0 14 131441

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

  • Date: November 17
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 44 °F (7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,731
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 12: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week Twelve: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Colts 0 10 7017
Texans 0 10 3720

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

Week 13: vs. New England Patriots
Week Thirteen: New England Patriots at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Patriots 3 0 61322
Texans 7 7 7728

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

This was the Texans' first win over New England in a decade.

Week 14: vs. Denver Broncos

Battle Red Day

Week Fourteen: Denver Broncos at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Broncos 14 17 7038
Texans 0 3 71424

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: December 8
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 71,769
  • Referee: Adrian Hill
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and AJ Ross
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 15: at Tennessee Titans
Week Fifteen: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 0 14 01024
Titans 0 0 71421

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Game information

Week 16: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Sixteen: Houston Texans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 10 7 3323
Buccaneers 3 14 3020

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

  • Date: December 21
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 73 °F (23 °C)
  • Game attendance: 49,036
  • Referee: Scott Novak
  • TV announcers (NFLN/KRIV): Rich Eisen, Nate Burleson, Joe Thomas and Melissa Stark
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week Seventeen: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Titans 7 7 71435
Texans 7 0 7014

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: December 29
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 71,794
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

With the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the Los Angeles Chargers earlier in the afternoon, the Texans were locked in at the 4th seed for the playoffs. Houston rested several offensive and defensive starters with A. J. McCarron starting at quarterback, his first start since 2015 when he played for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Division
AFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(4) Houston Texans 10 6 0 .625 4–2 8–4 378 385 L1
(6) Tennessee Titans 9 7 0 .563 3–3 7–5 402 331 W1
Indianapolis Colts 7 9 0 .438 3–3 5–7 361 373 L1
Jacksonville Jaguars 6 10 0 .375 2–4 6–6 300 397 W1

Conference
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Baltimore Ravens North 14 2 0 .875 5–1 10–2 .494 .484 W12
2[lower-alpha 1] Kansas City Chiefs West 12 4 0 .750 6–0 9–3 .510 .477 W6
3[lower-alpha 1] New England Patriots East 12 4 0 .750 5–1 8–4 .469 .411 L1
4 Houston Texans South 10 6 0 .625 4–2 8–4 .520 .488 L1
Wild Cards
5 Buffalo Bills East 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .461 .363 L2
6 Tennessee Titans South 9 7 0 .563 3–3 7–5 .488 .465 W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 Pittsburgh Steelers North 8 8 0 .500 3–3 6–6 .502 .324 L3
8[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3] Denver Broncos West 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .510 .406 W2
9[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5] Oakland Raiders West 7 9 0 .438 3–3 5–7 .482 .335 L1
10[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5] Indianapolis Colts South 7 9 0 .438 3–3 5–7 .492 .500 L1
11[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 4] New York Jets East 7 9 0 .438 2–4 4–8 .473 .402 W2
12[lower-alpha 6] Jacksonville Jaguars South 6 10 0 .375 2–4 6–6 .484 .406 W1
13[lower-alpha 6] Cleveland Browns North 6 10 0 .375 3–3 6–6 .533 .479 L3
14[lower-alpha 7] Los Angeles Chargers West 5 11 0 .313 0–6 3–9 .514 .488 L3
15[lower-alpha 7] Miami Dolphins East 5 11 0 .313 2–4 4–8 .484 .463 W2
16 Cincinnati Bengals North 2 14 0 .125 1–5 2–10 .553 .406 W1
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 8]
  1. Kansas City finished ahead of New England based on head-to-head victory.
  2. Denver finished ahead of Indianapolis and NY Jets based on conference record. Division tiebreak was initially used to eliminate Oakland (see below).
  3. Denver finished ahead of Oakland based on conference record.
  4. Oakland and Indianapolis finished ahead of NY Jets based on conference record.
  5. Oakland finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
  6. Jacksonville finished ahead of Cleveland based on record against common opponents. Jacksonville's cumulative record against Cincinnati, Denver, NY Jets, and Tennessee was 4–1, compared to Cleveland's 2–3 cumulative record against the same four teams.
  7. LA Chargers finished ahead of Miami based on head-to-head victory.
  8. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Postseason
See also: 2019–20 NFL playoffs

Schedule
Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue NFL.com
recap
Wild Card January 4, 2020 Buffalo Bills (5) W 22–19 (OT) 1–0 NRG Stadium Recap
Divisional January 12, 2020 at Kansas City Chiefs (2) L 31–51 1–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (5) Buffalo Bills
AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) Buffalo Bills at (4) Houston Texans – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Bills 7 6 33019
Texans 0 0 811322

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

Houston rallied back from a 16–0 3rd quarter deficit – having been held to 62 total yards in the first half[4] – to win with 3:20 remaining in overtime on Ka'imi Fairbairn's 28-yard field goal, for Buffalo's 6th consecutive playoff loss since their last win in December 1995.[5]

On the opening drive of the game, Bills quarterback Josh Allen rushed for 42 yards – the Bills' longest rush of the season[6] – and then caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from receiver John Brown on a trick play to put Buffalo up 7–0. In the second quarter, Devin Singletary rushed for an 18-yard gain and Allen completed a 28-yard pass to Brown as the team drove 69 yards in 11 plays to go up 10–0 on Stephen Hauschka's 40-yard field goal. Then after a punt, Buffalo drove 74 yards in 15 plays to score on a second 40-yard field goal from Hauschka, giving them a 13–0 lead at half-time.

Five minutes into the third quarter, Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins fumbled the ball while being tackled by Tre'Davious White, and Tremaine Edmunds recovered it on the Texans' 38-yard line. Buffalo then drove to the 12-yard line, but ended up settling for Hauschka's third field goal after Allen was sacked on third down by J. J. Watt, giving them a 16–0 lead. This time, Houston managed to respond, moving the ball 75 yards in 9 plays and scoring on a 20-yard touchdown run from quarterback Deshaun Watson; Watson also scored the ensuing 2-point conversion to make the score 16–8. On the Bills' ensuing drive, linebacker Whitney Mercilus forced a fumble while sacking Allen,[6] which Jacob Martin recovered for the Texans at midfield with 14:18 remaining. Watson then completed a 20-yard pass to Kenny Stills that set up Fairbairn's 41-yard field goal, cutting the score to 16–11.[7]

After Buffalo punted on their next drive, Watson completed a 41-yard pass – on the drive's second play – to Hopkins on the Buffalo 28-yard line,[6] and later connected with tight end Darren Fells for 14 yards to bring up first and goal from the 1-yard line. Running back Carlos Hyde fumbled a pitch from Watson and was forced out of bounds for a 4-yard loss, before catching a 5-yard touchdown pass from Watson on the next play.[6] Hopkins caught Watson's pass for a 2-point conversion, giving Houston their first lead at 19–16 with 4:42 remaining. Buffalo started out their next drive with a 38-yard completion from Allen to Singletary, and soon found themselves with a first down on the Texans' 25-yard line. After an incompletion, Frank Gore was dropped by Mike Adams for a 3-yard loss and then Allen was flagged for intentional grounding, pushing the team all the way back to the 42-yard line. Allen was sacked for a 19-yard loss[6] by Martin on 4th-and-27, with a turnover on downs putting the Texans at Buffalo's 39-yard line with less than two minutes remaining. The Bills' defense managed to pin the Texans down, with Watson being stopped short by Star Lotulelei on 4th-and-1. Gaining the ball with 1:16 left, Allen led Buffalo 41 yards in 11 plays, including a 20-yard run by Allen, to score on Hauschka's 47-yard field goal,[5] sending the game to overtime at 19–19.

After both teams punted on their first drive of overtime – Buffalo having punted after a penalty pushed the team out of field goal range[8] – Houston drove 73 yards in 9 plays for the game-winning score; the key play of the drive was an 18-yard completion from Watson to running back Duke Johnson on 3rd-and-18 from the Texans' 19-yard line. Then Watson rushed for 5 yards, Stills caught a pass for 10 yards, and Hyde rushed 4 yards to the Bills' 44-yard line. On the next play, Watson evaded a sack attempt by two Buffalo defenders and fired a short pass to reserve running back Taiwan Jones,[5] who took off for a 34-yard gain to Buffalo's 10-yard line. Fairbairn then kicked a 28-yard field goal to give Houston the victory.[7]

The Texans were the only home team to win during the Wild Card round.

AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (2) Kansas City Chiefs
AFC Divisional Playoffs: (4) Houston Texans at (2) Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 21 3 7031
Chiefs 0 28 131051

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

After falling behind 24–0, Kansas City suddenly buried the Texans with an NFL playoff record 7 consecutive touchdowns and a field goal over their next eight drives, starting with a shocking 28-point second quarter.

On the opening possession, Houston mounted a six-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in Deshaun Watson’s 54-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills on 3rd-and-1, giving the Texans an early 7–0 lead. The Chiefs then went three-and-out on their first drive, with tight end Travis Kelce dropping a potential first down pass on third down. Dustin Colquitt’s ensuing punt was blocked by Barkevious Mingo and recovered by Lonnie Johnson Jr., who returned it 10 yards for a touchdown that put the Texans up 14–0 less than five minutes into the game.

After both teams punted on their next drives, Chiefs returner Tyreek Hill muffed the ball inside his own 10-yard line which was recovered by Keion Crossen for Houston. Two plays later, Watson found tight end Darren Fells in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown and a 21–0 lead late in the first quarter.

The next time Houston got the ball, they drove 48 yards in 9 plays to a 4th and inches on the Chiefs 13-yard line. Rather than risk a conversion, the Texans settled for Ka'imi Fairbairn's 31-yard field goal to go up by 24 four minutes into the second quarter. However, this would be the extent of their success, as they went on to be outscored 51-7 for the rest of the game. First, Mecole Hardman returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards to Houston's 42-yard line. Patrick Mahomes then threw a 25-yard pass to Kelce to get in the red zone before hitting running back Damien Williams for a 17-yard touchdown. After Houston went three-and-out on their next drive, they attempted a fake punt on 4th and 4 with a direct snap to Justin Reid who was tackled by Daniel Sorensen two yards short, giving Kansas City the ball at the Texans 33. Johnson was then called for pass interference to put the ball at the five before Mahomes hit Kelce in the end zone to cut the deficit to 10. On the ensuing kickoff, DeAndre Carter fumbled the ball due to a hit by Sorenson, and it went right into the arms of Kansas City's Darwin Thompson, who returned it to the Houston 6. Mahomes then threw his third touchdown pass in less than four minutes, and his second to Kelce, to make the score 24–21.

Taking possession at their own 10 with 2:47 left in the quarter, the Chiefs went on a 90-yard drive that included another pass interference on Johnson, while Mahomes rushed twice for 35 yards and completed a pair of 20-yard passes to Hill and Kelce. Finally, with 44 seconds left in the half, Mahomes threw another five-yard touchdown to Kelce to give the Chiefs their first lead of the game, 28–24. Mahomes’ four touchdown passes in the second quarter tied an NFL postseason record set by Doug Williams in Super Bowl XXII. Fairbairn missed a 51-yard field goal as time expired in the half as the Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to fall behind by as many as 20 points in the first half but still lead at halftime.

The Chiefs would extend their lead on the opening possession of the third quarter, going 85 yards in 7 plays, the longest a 48-yard catch by Sammy Watkins. Williams ran the ball in from the goal-line, increasing their lead to 34-24 after Harrison Butker missed the extra point. After forcing another Texans punt, the Chiefs took advantage of another pass interference penalty against Houston and a 28-yard completion from Mahomes to Kelce, scoring on their sixth straight possession with another Williams touchdown run to give them a 41–24 lead with 4:39 left in the quarter. Houston finally snapped Kansas City's 41-point run when Watson completed 4 passes for 80 yards and finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, making the score 41–31 with 24 seconds left in the third quarter.

Kansas City would make it seven touchdowns in a row, setting a new postseason record, on a drive that included a 23-yard pass to Kelce and a 28-yard completion to Watkins, putting the ball at the Houston 8. Mahomes then found Blake Bell in the end zone, making the score 48–31. On Houston's next drive, they turned the ball over on downs at the Chiefs 42. A pair runs by Williams for gains of 11 and 26 yard to set up Butker's 24-yard field goal with 8:06 left to put Kansas City up by 20. Houston then turned the ball over on downs on their final two possessions, the last coming when Frank Clark sacked Watson for a 17-yard loss on 4th-and-8 from the Kansas City 8-yard line.

Mahomes finished the game 23/35 for 321 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. He was also the leading rusher with 53 yards on seven carries. Kelce had 10 catches for 134 yards and three touchdowns, tying a Super Bowl-era postseason record. Hardman had 6 kickoff returns for 142 yards. Williams rushed for 47 yards, caught 2 passes for 21 yards, and scored 3 touchdowns. Watson threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns, while DeAndre Hopkins had 118 yards on nine catches. Kansas City's 24-point comeback was the fourth largest in postseason history, and they would go on to win Super Bowl LIV.[9] The Texans became the first team in NFL postseason history to lose by 20 or more points after leading by 20 or more points.[9]

References
  1. Wilson, Aaron (August 25, 2019). "Texans' Lamar Miller out for season with torn ACL and MCL". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  2. Breech, John (August 31, 2019). "Seahawks acquire star pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney in multi-player trade with the Texans". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  3. Thompson, Chris (October 6, 2019). "Texans' Deshaun Watson Gives Detailed Breakdown Of Falcons' Defense After Historic Performance". Deadspin. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  4. "Texans edge Bills in NFL playoff OT thriller". France 24. France Médias Monde. Agence France-Presse. January 5, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  5. Maske, Mark (January 5, 2020). "Texans beat Bills, 22–19, as Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt lead comeback in playoff victory". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  6. "Houston Texans rally from 16 down to roar past Bills in wildcard playoff". The Guardian. Associated Press. January 5, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  7. "Texans roar past Bills for 22–19 win in OT". ESPN.com. ESPN Inc. Associated Press. January 5, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  8. Williams, Charean. "Mike Pereira, Terry McAulay disagree with blindside block penalty on Bills". MSN. Microsoft. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  9. Teicher, Adam (January 12, 2020). "Patrick Mahomes-inspired Chiefs shatter records in rally". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
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