Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Matt Schaub threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson with 28 seconds remaining in regulation to lift the Houston Texans to a 35-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at Reliant Stadium.
Schaub completed 25-of-33 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns for the Texans (4-2), who rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. Arian Foster ran for 71 yards and two scores for Houston, which rebounded from a disheartening 34-10 home loss to the New York Giants.
Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel converted 20-of-29 throws for 201 yards and three touchdowns, two of them going to Dwayne Bowe. Thomas Jones had 100 yards on 19 carries and scored a touchdown for the Chiefs (3-2), who have lost two in a row after opening the season with three straight wins.
Ryan Succop made a 24-yard field goal to give the Chiefs a 24-14 advantage with 2:58 remaining in the third quarter.
Vonta Leach returned the ensuing kickoff 26 yards, setting the Texans up at the Kansas City 46-yard line. Schaub scrambled for minimal gain on first down before he was sacked for a six-yard loss. Houston faced a 4th-and-1 after a 12-yard completion to Derrick Ward, and Owen Daniels caught a nine-yard toss to keep the drive alive which Foster eventually capped with a two-yard TD run early in the final frame.
Kansas City restored its 10-point lead, orchestrating a nine-play, 70-yard drive that ended with Jones scoring from 11 yards out.
Schaub then took the Texans 86 yards in eight plays. Foster finished off the drive by leaping into the end zone for a one-yard score with 3:30 remaining.
The Chiefs were forced to punt after three unsuccessful downs, and the Texans started from their own 20 with 2:22 showing on the clock.
Schaub completed pass of 10 and 15 yards to Foster and Johnson to reach the two-minute warning. After an incompletion on first down, Schaub lofted a deep pass along the right sideline intended for Johnson, who was pushed out of bounds at the Kansas City 24 for a 31-yard gain. Kansas City cornerback Brandon Flowersargued that the Houston wideout should have been called for pass interference.
Schaub's next two passes fell incomplete, but he found Daniels for an 11-yard toss on third down. After Foster picked up two yards on the ground, Schaub threw a strike to a wide open Johnson in the back of the end zone for a 35-31 advantage.
Cassel moved the Chiefs across midfield, but any hopes of a comeback ended when he was sacked by Houston's Amobi Okoye.
The Chiefs marched down the field on the game's first series. Facing a 4th- and-2 after a seven-yard sprint up the middle by Dexter McCluster to the Houston 17, Kansas City head coach Todd Haley rolled the dice by not attempting the short field goal, but a defensive pass interference prolonged the drive.
The Chiefs gambled again on fourth down from the two, and Cassel finished off the possession with a touchdown pass to Mike Vrabel. It was the 10th career regular-season touchdown reception for the veteran linebacker. He has also caught a TD pass in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX while with New England.
Houston tied the game in the second quarter, as Schaub and Joel Dreessen hooked up on a five-yard touchdown to cap a nine-play jaunt.
After the teams exchanged punts, the Chiefs got the ball back with a little over two minutes remaining and Cassel covered 63 yards in seven plays. The drive ended with a 17-yard TD pass to Bowe for a 14-7 Kansas City lead at halftime.
Kansas City extended its lead on its first possession of the third quarter, as a short toss on third down to Bowe resulted in a 42-yard score.
The Texans quickly countered on their next series, with Ward rumbling 38 yards down the left sideline to the end zone.
Johnson had eight receptions for 138 yards...Ward has scored a touchdown in three straight games...Jamaal Charles ran for 93 yards on 16 carries for the Chiefs...Bowe caught six passes for 108 yards...Kansas City was 9-of-16 on third downs, while Houston finished 5-of-10.