Home Cooking Fuels Hall as Chiefs Roll

Dante Hall fed off a trip to Mom’s kitchen.

Hall had a 73-yard punt return for a score in his return to Texas and Priest Holmes had 156 total yards and two touchdowns to lead Kansas City to a 42-14 victory over Houston on Sunday, giving the Chiefs their first 3-0 start in seven years.

“The guy that gave us the spark was Dante Hall. We are going to give the game ball to his mother,” Kansas City Coach Dick Vermeil said, noting Hall is from Houston. “She cooked for him last night, and we are going to bring her home with us.”

The Texans (1-2) trailed, 14-7, late in the third quarter when Houston rookie Tony Hollings, playing at running back for the first time this season, fumbled after a jarring hit by safety Jerome Woods. The Chiefs’ Dexter McCleon recovered at the Houston 32.

Moments later, Trent Green found a wide-open Eddie Kennison for a 15-yard touchdown.

The Texans went three-and-out on their next series, and Hall made them pay.

Hall took the punt at the 27-yard line, escaped Jason Simmons and darted around the right end where he juked punter Chad Stanley. Then he picked up his blockers and cut back untouched in scoring his fifth punt or kickoff return for a touchdown in his last eight games.

“I looked at this game on the schedule and I saw that it was on my birthday at home, and I was like, ‘Luck can only take you so far. That has to be something from up there, lining it up,’ ” Hall said, pointing toward the heavens.

“Then for me to go out and score, it was unbelievable.”

Said Texan Coach Dom Capers: “We went out and fumbled the football, they went down and scored, and everything turned around. The game got away from us.”

By then Holmes, who grew up in San Antonio and played at Texas, was resting on the sideline after gaining 89 yards rushing and 67 yards on four receptions.