Two Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates will be showcased this weekend on NBC's Sunday Night Football, as Kareem Hunt and the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) visit Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans (2-2) at NRG Stadium. Coverage begins with FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA this Sunday, October 8, at 7 p.m. ET on NBC.
The Chiefs boast one of the league's premiere offenses fueled by rookie standout Hunt, who leads the NFL with 502 rushing yards. Hunt has totaled 659 scrimmage yards in his first four career games, the second-most in NFL history behind RB Billy Sims (745 scrimmage yards in 1980). Per Pro Football Focus, the first-year starter leads all running backs in yards gained after contact with 256. Coupled with the play of QB Alex Smith, who leads the league in both completion percentage (76.0) and passer rating (124.2), Kansas City ranks second in total offense. A 29-20 win over the Redskins in Week 4 improved the team's record to 4-0 for the first time since 2013.
Houston enters Sunday's game on the heels of a 57-14 win over division rival Tennessee. Watson threw for 283 yards and combined to score five total touchdowns to tie the single-game NFL rookie touchdown record. Watson, who was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the performance, joined Hall of Fame QB Fran Tarkenton as the only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to produce at least 250 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in a game. Defensively, the Texans saw the return of DL J.J. Watt, who missed 13 games with an injury last season. Since Watt entered the league in 2011, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has 439 quarterback pressures, second to only Von Miller (443), according to Pro Football Focus.
The two franchises last met in primetime in 2005, when Kansas City traveled to Houston and defeated the Texans, 45-17. The Chiefs own a 55-36 all-time record in primetime games and have won their last two
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL contests. Sunday's matchup marks the second of four primetime games for Houston this season. Watson, making his first career start, led the Texans to a 13-9 road win over Cincinnati in Week 2 on Thursday Night Football.
Calling Chiefs-Texans are seven-time Emmy Award-winner Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his record 32nd season as
THE VOICE of the NFL's premier primetime package; 16-time Emmy Award-winner Cris Collinsworth; and two-time Emmy Award-winning sideline reporter Michele Tafoya.
NBC's coverage of
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL is led by Emmy Award-winning producer Fred Gaudelli and Emmy Award-winning director Drew Esocoff.
Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports, is hosted by Mike Tirico, who will report on-site from FedEx Field, and Dan Patrick, who will host from Studio 1 at
NBC Sports Group's International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn. Patrick is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time
SUPER BOWL winner Rodney Harrison, and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com and PFT Live on
NBCSN and
NBC Sports Radio. Paul Burmeister will report from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on the Packers-Cowboys game.
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