KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Jamaal Charles ran for 86 yards and a touchdown, Alex Smith also ran for a score and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the banged-up Houston Texans 17-16 on Sunday to remain unbeaten.
The Chiefs (7-0) were forced to punt the ball to Houston with 1:46 left in the game.
But after Case Keenum threw an incompletion on first down, the young quarterback was stripped by linebacker Tamba Hali at his 2. Derrick Johnson recovered the fumble for the Chiefs.
Smith simply kneeled on it from there as time ran out, allowing Kansas City to extend the second-best start in franchise history. The 2003 team began the season 9-0.
Keenum, making his first NFL start in place of the injured Matt Schaub, threw for 271 yards and a touchdown for the Texans (2-5).
But he didn’t get much help from his run game after Arian Foster left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return.
The Chiefs will host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium with a noon kickoff. NewsRadio 1350 KMAN will air the game from the Chiefs Fox Football Radio Network.
