Texans Overcome Slow Start For Fifth Victory

The Texans-Chiefs franchise is celebrating its 50th season of play in 2009. This is another look at the founding team of the American Football League and its first season of play.

In the first quarter, Denver QB Frank Tripucka led his offense on a 46-yard touchdown drive that gave the Broncos the first points on the scoreboard.

But on a balmy afternoon at the Cotton Bowl, the Dallas Texans defense shut the door, and running backs Abner Haynes and Johnny Robinson took over on the offensive side and Hank Stram’s team had a 34-7 victory. The decision pushed the Texans over the .500 mark on the season, as they came out of the game with a 5-4 record.

The Dallas defense tied the score in the second quarter. LB Smoky Stover hit Denver RB Don Allen in the left flat as he was catching a pass. The ball bounced in the air and CB David Webster grabbed the ball and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown. It was one of four interceptions in the game for the Texans defense.

“Even though it only gave us a chance to tie the score at 7-7, it blew it open for us,” Stram said of Webster interception, one of six the former Prairie View quarterback grabbed during that inaugural season. He returned two for touchdowns. The other interceptions that day went to LB Bob Hudson LB Ted Greene and DB Jimmy Harris.

“We were too tight both ways it took that interception to loosen us up. After that we looked like a real good football team.”

Before the second quarter was over, Jack Spikes had kicked a 31-yard FG and Haynes scored on a seven-yard run to give the Texans a 17-7 lead at the intermission.

In the second half, it was the Haynes and Robinson show. One of the biggest plays came when Haynes took a handoff from QB Cotton Davidson and ran wide right. Haynes stopped and threw a long lateral back across the field to Davidson, who fielded the ball on the first bounce and threw it up into the end zone where FB Curley Johnson went up and pulled down the 36-yard TD pass.

Later in the fourth quarter, backup QB Hunter Enis came into the game and threw a four-yard TD pass to Robinson.

Haynes and Robinson combined 207 yards rushing, with Haynes contributing a 58-yard run and Robinson a 49-yard gain. Haynes had 15 carries for 114 rushing yards and two catches for 40 yards. Robinson had 93 yards on nine carries and three catches for 11 yards.

At 5-4, the Texans were on a three-game winning streak and in second place in the AFL Western Division, a game behind the Los Angeles Chargers who were 6-3.

GAME #9 RECAP/1960

• Opponent: Denver Broncos.
• Site: Cotton Bowl, crowd estimated at 21,000.
• Score: 34-7 Texans
• Texans Leading Rusher: Abner Haynes, 15 carries for 114 yards.
• Texans Leading Receiver: Chris Burford, three catches for 75 yards.
• Texans Leading Passer: Cotton Davidson, 7 of 18 for 115 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT.
• Texans Punter: Davidson nine punts, 315 yards, 35-yard average.

SCORING SUMMARY

• 1Q – Denver – D. Rolle 1-yard TD run. G. Mingo PAT kick.
• 2Q – Dallas – D. Webster 40-yard interception return for TD. J. Spikes PAT kick.
• 2Q – Dallas – Spikes 31-yard FG.
• 2Q – Dallas – A. Haynes 7-yard TD run. Spikes PAT kick.
• 4Q – Dallas – C. Johnson 36-yard TD pass from C. Davidson. Spikes PAT kick.
• 4Q – Dallas – Spikes 24-yard FG.
• 4Q – Dallas – J. Robinson 4-yard TD pass from H. Enis. Spikes PAT kick.

 

	Broncos	Texans
First Downs	13	20
Total Yards	159	456
Rushing Yards	23	244
Net Passing Yards	136	212
Att-Comp-Int	33/18/4	25/12/0
Punts/Avg Yds.	7/39.3	3/35.0
Penalties/Yards	7/77	9/87
Fumbles/Lost	1/0	3/2