Watch NFL Sunday - Dolphins @ Patriots, Bucs @ Saints and Cowboys @ Rams - live on Sky Sports NFL from 5pm on Sunday
Friday 11 September 2020 16:18, UK
Patrick Mahomes threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns, rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire racked up 138 yards and another score, and the Kansas City Chiefs began the defense of their first championship in 50 years by beating the Houston Texans 34-20 in Thursday night's NFL season opener.
Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins and Tyreek Hill each caught touchdown passes for the Chiefs. Texans QB Deshaun Watson threw a TD and ran in for another score in the fourth quarter but, by then it was too little, too late after the Texans found themselves in a 31-7 shaped hole.
David Johnson provided the biggest bright spot for Houston, running for 77 yards and a touchdown on their opening drive that gave the visitors a first-quarter lead in front of a socially-distanced crowd of about 17,000 at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Texans, who blew a 24-point lead against Kansas City in the the playoffs, struck first when they marched 80 yards for a touchdown, finished off with the elusive Johnson scampering 19 yards to the end zone.
The Chiefs had seemingly scored a touchdown on their opening series, but it was called back when officials determined Demarcus Robinson failed to control Mahomes' 36-yard pass in the end zone. They had another overturned when Watkins was shown to come up just shy of the goal line in the second quarter, though he would find the end zone two plays later as, just like that playoff encounter back in January, the Chiefs quickly overcame their slow start.
They tied the game when Mahomes threw a short touchdown pass to Kelce, then took the lead with Watkins' score. Harrison Butker capped the first half by kicking a chip-shot field goal that sent the Chiefs to the locker room with a 17-7 lead.
Edwards-Helaire, their first-round draft pick, added to that lead early in the third quarter, with the pint-sized dynamo out of LSU unleashing a wicked stutter-step as he broke free and into the end zone from 27 yards out.
The Chiefs put the game away when rookie L'Darius Sneed picked off Watson's jump ball in the closing seconds of the third quarter. Mahomes was bailed out of an interception of his own by some pass interference in the end zone, before finding Hill for his third TD and a 31-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Watson threw a touchdown pass and ran in for another later in the quarter to make the final score a bit more respectable, but Kansas City comfortably hung on for a winning start to the season.
Houston players stayed inside the locker room for the national anthems as Kansas players stood on the field before a shared moment of unity marked the NFL Kick-Off.
Following the death of George Floyd in police custody and the shooting of Jacob Blake, the NFL has watched on as sports and athletes around the world have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in peaceful protest, making their own stand and on Thursday night, the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans did exactly that.
The teams each chose a different approach during the playing of the national anthems before coming together as one just before kick-off in front of 15,895 fans at Arrowhead Stadium.
Sky Sports NFL will be your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season - featuring a host of NFL Network programming, a new weekly preview show as well as at least five games a week and NFL Redzone, you won't miss a moment.
Don't forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports - on the go!
