Deshaun Watson, Texans Top Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs in Battle of MVP Candidates

The Kansas City Chiefs suffered their second straight defeat, losing 31-24 to the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.  

DeAndre Hopkins caught an eight-yard pass on a 4th-and-3 from the Chiefs' 28-yard line to give the Texans a first down with 1:57 remaining. Kansas City was out of timeouts and thus couldn't stop the clock as Houston ran the remaining time down.

The Indianapolis Colts successfully wore down the Chiefs defense in Week 5 by running for 180 yards and keeping the ball for 37:15. The Texans followed that blueprint by going for 192 yards on the ground.

Kansas City got Tyreek Hill back on the field, though it wasn't enough to compensate for Patrick Mahomes' ankle injury. The reigning MVP told reporters earlier in the week his left ankle was "not perfect" but asserted it wouldn't limit what he could do in Sunday's game.

Notable Performers

• Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans: 30-of-42 for 280 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions
• Carlos Hyde, RB, Texans: 26 carries, 116 yards, one touchdown; one reception, 14 yards
• DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans: nine receptions, 55 yards
• Darren Fells, TE, Texans: six receptions, 69 yards
• Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs: 19-of-35 for 273 yards, three touchdowns, one interception
• LeSean McCoy, RB, Chiefs: eight carries, 44 yards; two receptions, zero yards
• Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs: five receptions, 80 yards, two touchdowns
• Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs: four receptions, 58 yards

Texans Withstand Early Onslaught with Healthy Dose of Carlos Hyde

Things couldn't have started much worse for Houston. Already down 7-0, the Texans turned the ball over on their first offensive play from scrimmage. They trailed 17-3 after the first quarter.

That didn't deter head coach Bill O'Brien from attacking the Chiefs with a deliberate game plan spearheaded by Carlos Hyde. As with Marlon Mack in Week 5, Kansas City had no answer for Houston's physicality. Hyde had a little added motivation after the Chiefs traded him to the Texans in August.

The defense was excellent as well, holding the Chiefs to 309 total yards. Granted, simply keeping Kansas City off the field had something to do with that, which was where Hyde came in.

The Texans had the ball for 39:48, which allowed them to significantly out-gain the Chiefs (472 yards) despite averaging nearly one full yard fewer per play (5.7 for Houston and 6.6 for Kansas City), per ESPN.com.

In a game where little went wrong for the Texans, Ka'imi Fairbairn cost the team four points. He missed the extra point after a Duke Johnson touchdown reception in the second quarter and then sent a 46-yard field goal wide left on the team's opening drive of the second quarter.

O'Brien's decision to go for it on fourth down and not attempt a field goal appeared to signal some level of doubt in Fairbairn at the end of the game.

Tyreek Hill Makes Immediate Impact in Return

The Chiefs listed Hill as questionable coming into the day, leading some to wonder how much of an issue his shoulder injury remains. Even if he's at less than 100 percent, the three-time Pro Bowler quickly put any doubts to rest.

Hill made one of the best catches of the season when he capped off the Chiefs' opening drive with a 46-yard touchdown reception.

Nobody questions Hill's value to Kansas City, and his performance Sunday showed how much different the offense is when he's healthy.

However, Hill can't fully mask the Chiefs' issues on both sides of the ball.

Head coach Andy Reid must not have a ton of confidence in his running game because LeSean McCoy averaged 5.5 yards per carry but only carried the ball eight times. The defense couldn't string together multiple stops either, allowing the Texans to move the chains and eat up time off the clock.

As a result, Mahomes basically had to carry the team—ankle injury and all.

While it's too early for the Chiefs to hit the panic button, this is the second week in a row in which they've looked far more pedestrian than they did a season ago.

What's Next?

The Texans stay on the road in Week 7, when they take on the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Chiefs have a short week as they face off with the Denver Broncos on Thursday at Empower Field in Denver.