Smith in command
Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith has his way with the Texans’ defense, going 29-of-37 for 324 yards and three TDs.
Alex Smith scanned the field, his helmet on a swivel while buying himself precious seconds with his trademark mobility.
Smith kept escaping from the Texans’ pass rushers, remaining a step ahead of a proud defense.
As the Kansas City Chiefs’ dual-threat quarterback kept rolling out of the pocket, he gave his downfield targets plenty of time to break open as the Texans were unable to cover for that long.
Smith was nearly perfect Sunday night at NRG Stadium, delivering spirals with pinpoint accuracy as he led the undefeated Chiefs to their fifth victory of the season.
Smith engineered an impressive 42-34 win as he threw three touchdown passes to hold off a late comeback attempt from Texans rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson as the first-round draft pick threw five touchdown passes.
It was a series of dinks and dunks by Smith, one of the masters of that trade as he has turned the short pass into an art form.
Smith was especially prolific in the first half as he completed 18 of his first 24 passes for 207 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 128.3 passer rating.
Smith finished the game by completing 29 of 37 passes for 324 yards and no interceptions for a 130.2 passer rating.
In the second quarter alone, Smith completed 11 of 14 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns for a 144.3 passer rating.
The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback now has 11 touchdown passes and zero interceptions this season.
Twice, Smith located running back Charcandrick West out of the backfield for touchdown passes.
On the first touchdown, Smith rolled out to his left before hitting West for the score as he threaded a tight pass into traffic with inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney attempting to shadow the smaller running back.
On the second touchdown, Smith found West as he eluded a tackle attempt by free safety Andre Hal to get into the end zone.
His final touchdown pass came on a simple shovel pass to De’Anthony Thomas in the second half as he scooted into the end zone.
It was the kind of reliable, efficient performance that Smith has become known for as he’s built a strong reputation in 13 NFL seasons for accurate, steady play.
Smith was only sacked once. He also rushed for 19 yards on five carries.
Whether Smith was throwing to tight end Travis Kelce for eight passes for 98 yards before he left the game with a concussion or distributing the football to his backs and receivers, he was sharp throughout the game.
The Texans’ defense had little hope of containing Smith during one of his best games of the past few seasons.
Smith completed passes to eight different players in the first half alone to build a 23-7 halftime lead.
The Texans’ defense looked completely overmatched against Smith as they were unable to slow him down in the open field.
The mismatch was further compounded by injuries that forced defensive end J.J. Watt (tibial plateau fracture) and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus (chest) out of the game.
Without Watt and Mercilus in the lineup, Smith had even more time to operate, and he capitalized time and time again against the Texans’ beleaguered defense.