The Kansas City Chiefs needed a victory Sunday to regain some early-season momentum. Unfortunately for them, they didn't get it.The Chiefs (3-2), who last week lost at defending AFC champion Indianapolis, lost to the Texans 35-31 Sunday, in front of 70,926 fans at Reliant Stadium.
The Texans (4-2) shook off a miserable Week 5 loss to the Giants to stay in first place in the AFC South, and did so in dramatic fashion. Matt Schaub hit Andre Johnson for a TD in the game's final minute to secure the victory.
Here are a few quick looks at Titans-Chiefs:
• The Chiefs' first touchdown pass came on a pass from quarterback Matt Cassel, who had one of his better games of the season, to linebacker Mike Vrabel. The play should be familiar to New England Patriots' fans. Vrabel did it eight times while playing for New England from 2001-2008 and also had a touchdown reception for Kansas City last season. The reception was the 10th of Vrabel's career. All have been for touchdowns.
• Cassel, who didn't look great in parts of a 19-9 loss to the Colts last week, played one of his better halves of the season in the first half, as the Chiefs took a 14-7 halftime lead. Cassel had averaged 158 yards passing a game. He had 198 at the half.
• Cassel wasn't just effective early -- he also had a huge completion in the fourth quarter. With the Chiefs leading, 24-21, they faced 3rd-and-7 from midfield after a delay of game penalty. Cassel completed a 10-yard pass to tight end Tony Moeaki for a critical first down.
• Chiefs running back Thomas Jones scored on an 11-yard run four plays after Cassel's conversion to give the Chiefs a 10-point lead with 7:05 remaining.
• Houston's day took a turn for the worse late in the first half when middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans left the game against Kansas City. He did not return. Ryans sustained the injury to his left Achilles late in the second quarter and was carted from the field. Ryans was third on the Texans with 47 tackles entering the game and also had an interception this season. He had never missed a start in five NFL seasons -- that streak will come to an end, as Texans head coach Gary Kubiak announced that Ryans is done for the season.
• According to Nick Scurfield of HoustonTexans.com, the Texans had three active linebackers healthy in the second half: outside linebacker Brian Cushing, outside linebacker Zac Diles and David Nixon, who on Sunday made his third appearance with Houston.
• Texans running back Arian Foster has made a lot of headlines this season, and led the NFL in rushing entering the game, but teammate Derrick Ward has been effective, too. His 38-yard touchdown in the third quarter pulled the Texans to within seven, 21-14. It was his third touchdown in 15 carries this season. The 38-yarder was his longest of the season and he never before in his NFL career had scored a touchdown in three consecutive games.
• Kansas City wide receiver Dwayne Bowe had a difficult game against the Colts last week, dropping what could have been a crucial touchdown pass. He took advantage of opportunities Sunday, caching touchdowns of 17 in the second quarter and 42 early third quarter to turn a 7-7 tie into a 21-7 Chiefs lead.




