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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs had their backs to the end zone in the third quarter on Sunday, and the Houston Texans had first-and-goal with an opportunity to take the lead. Three straight plays went nowhere and the Texans had to settle for a field goal. It was a virtuoso display by the NFLs stingiest defence, and a signature stand in a stellar second half. The Chiefs kept repelling the Houston offence the rest of the way, and the result was a 17-16 victory to extend their perfect start. "You know as well as I do you win with great defences. Thats how it rolls," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "You cant be successful like we are without a great defence." Nor can you be successful without a guy like Jamaal Charles, who ran for 86 yards and a touchdown, or quarterback Alex Smith, who also had a touchdown scamper. "It was a physical game," Charles said, "the kind of a game this team needs to go far." The game was still in doubt even after the Chiefs goal-line stand. They had to punt with 1:46 left, but the Texans had no timeouts. Case Keenum threw an incompletion on first down, and then was stripped by linebacker Tamba Hali on the ensuing play. Derrick Johnson recovered the ball for the Chiefs, and Smith simply kneeled on it from there to run time out. The result was a 7-0 start for Kansas City, trailing only the 9-0 mark put up by the 2003 team for the best in franchise history. In the Super Bowl era, 31 teams have started 7-0 and all qualified for the playoffs. Fifteen of those 31 clubs advanced to the Super Bowl and nine have won it. "Its confidence," said Hali, who was part of the Chiefs two-win team last season. "Guys believe in what were doing. They believe in one another, and that goes a long way." Keenum, making his first NFL start in place of the injured Matt Schaub, threw for 271 yards and a touchdown for the Texans. His performance was overshadowed by a pair of crushing injuries: Running back Arian Foster left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return, and linebacker Brian Cushing was carted off with a left knee injury in the second half. "It was very detrimental to us," said Texans coach Gary Kubiak, whose banged-up team is riding its first five-game skid since Nov. 6-Dec. 11, 2005. "When they can pin their ears back, theyre very, very difficult," Kubiak said. "They came and got us pretty good there late in the game." The Texans moved the ball well early on, taking the lead on Randy Bullocks 48-yard field goal. But the scoring drive proved costly when Foster left for the locker room, and then emerged a short while later in a grey sweatsuit. "Im going do everything I can to get healthy and come back and fight," he said afterward. The Chiefs took the lead later in the first quarter when Charles pounded into the end zone from a yard out to cap an 82-yard drive. But the Texans, behind Keenums unflappable play, retook the lead on a 29-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins. "He did a great job," Kubiak said of his young quarterback, who beat out T.J. Yates for the starting nod. "Hes got some things hes got to understand when they come after him. But he made some great football plays to get his team in position to win." Indeed, the Texans still led 10-7 midway through the second quarter. Smith proceeded to guide the Chiefs 97 yards in 15 plays, and his 5-yard draw gave the Chiefs the lead at halftime. Bullock tacked on two more field goals for Houston, and Ryan Succop hit one for the Chiefs, who came within inches of extending their 17-16 lead early in the fourth quarter. Tight end Anthony Fasano caught a pass at the goal line and was ruled down, and Reid was unsuccessfully in challenging that it should be a touchdown. Charles was stuffed on the next play, and Smiths pass to wide open Sean McGrath on fourth down was out of bounds. It turned out that the missed points didnt matter. The Chiefs defence made sure of that. Notes: The Chiefs had five sacks, giving them 36 on the season. ... Ben Tate had 50 yards rushing for Houston. ... The Texans did not commit a turnover until Keenum was stripped at the end. They had an AFC-leading 15 turnovers coming into the game. ... Smith had 231 yards passing. Minnesota Vikings Jerseys . The 21-year-old Wickham headed Sunderland into a 26th-minute lead --to add to the double he scored at Manchester City and his strike in last weekends win at Chelsea -- and then sealed the win with a late header. Dalvin Cook Youth Jersey . Spieth again showed game well beyond his 20 years with a 9-under 63 on the North Course, giving him a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink going into the weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open. http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/Youth-alexander-mattison-vikings-jersey/ . Omar Rahou made the discriminatory gesture several times while celebrating scoring a goal against Romania at Antwerp in January, UEFA said. The sanction was double the five-match ban Nicolas Anelka received from an English Football Association independent tribunal last week for the same act. Cris Carter Youth Jersey . They never thought it would take some blood, too. Kevin Love grabbed his 4,000th career rebound as part of a 19-point, 13-board effort to lead the Timberwolves over the Utah Jazz 112-97 on Tuesday night. Chris Doleman Womens Jersey . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Steve Mason, Philadelphia (4) - Mason was brilliant all night long with save after big save on Benoit Pouliot, Carl Hagelin and Derick Brassard.FALL RIVER, Mass. -- A cousin of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez pleaded not guilty Friday to a contempt charge for allegedly refusing to testify before the grand jury that indicted Hernandez in the murder of a friend. Tanya Singleton entered her plea on a criminal contempt charge during a brief court appearance in Fall River. Her attorney, E. Peter Parker, did not seek bail for her, agreeing that she be held until a hearing on Oct. 3. Singleton was offered immunity but refused to testify before the grand jury, District Attorney Samuel Sutter said. She has been held since Aug. 1 in a Suffolk County jail and was indicted Thursday. The grand jury on Thursday indicted Hernandez on first-degree murder and weapons charges in the death of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player from Boston who was dating the sister of Hernandezs girlfriend. Lloyds body was found June 17 in an industrial park in North Attleborough, about a mile from Hernandezs home. He had been shot five times. Hernandez, 23, pleaded not guilty to murder and weapons charges in district court in June, and he is being held without bail. One of his attorneys, Michael Fee, said Thursday that there had been an "incredible rush to judgment" in the case and that he doesnt believe the state will be able to prove the charges during a jury trial. Prosecutors say Hernandez orchestrated the killing because he was upset at Lloyd for talking to people Hernandez had problems withh at a nightclub days earlier.dddddddddddd They say two Hernandez associates, Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz, were with the ex-player at the time Lloyd was killed. In Fall River on Friday, the judge held a closed hearing before Singletons arraignment. Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for Sutter, declined to comment on the substance of the proceeding. He also would not comment on what information prosecutors had hoped to learn from Singleton in grand jury testimony. Miliote said the punishment for a criminal contempt conviction is at the discretion of the judge. Parker had no comment outside the courthouse on the indictment. Asked how shes doing, he said: "Shes doing good." In July, authorities seized a cellphone and credit and bank cards from Singleton, who is from Hernandezs hometown of Bristol, Conn. Court records show Ortiz told investigators he and Wallace drove to Bristol after Lloyds killing and that he was dropped off at Singletons house. Ortiz said he discussed Lloyds killing with her. Authorities say Singleton later purchased a bus ticket for Wallace to travel to Miramar, Fla., where his parents live. Wallace was indicted Thursday on a charge of being an accessory to murder after the fact. He pleaded not guilty earlier in district court to the same charge. He was ordered held on $500,000 bail. Ortiz has not been indicted. He pleaded not guilty in district court to a weapons charge and is being held without bail. He has a court hearing Thursday. ' ' '