Chiefs’ winning margins are greater with higher turnover margin. Coincidence? Nope

The Chiefs had existed in a takeaway desert for much of the season.

Week after week passed without an interception or fumble recovery. They had a measly 10 takeaways in their first 13 games.

They’ve forced eight in their last two games, however, including two in Saturday’s 27-19 triumph over the Houston Texans. The Chiefs’ largest victory margins over the past two months have occurred in those games.

The Chiefs intercepted Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud twice Saturday. Rookie safety Jaden Hicks ended Houston’s opening possession with the first; cornerback Trent McDuffie ended a late second-quarter drive with the next one.

The Chiefs turned those miscues into 10 points.

“Any time you get around defensive backs, they say (interceptions) comes in bunches,” McDuffie said. “I’m seeing it play out.”

For the Chiefs, and for himself. The pick was the second in two games for McDuffie, who didn’t have an interception in his first 2 1/2 seasons in the league.

Hicks also nabbed his second pick in two weeks and now owns a team-best three this season. He was happy to give veteran teammate and fellow safety Justin Reid an assist on his interception against Houston: Under pressure, Stroud sailed a pass over intended target Nico Collins.

“He (Reid) actually called it before the play started,” Hicks said. “He said to stay over top, in case. He overthrew it, and I caught it. It worked out.“

Hicks, a fourth-round draft pick, wasn’t known for takeaway skills in three seasons at Washington State. He came up with three interceptions and a fumble recovery during his time in Pullman, Wash.

But he’s been in the right place at the right time for the Chiefs lately.

“Total defensive back” Reid shouted at Hicks in the Chiefs’ postgame locker room. “Total DB.”

The Chiefs didn’t rack up the turnover numbers they did in last week’s 21-7 victory at Cleveland, when they gathered six — the franchise’s most in a game since 2016.

But the timing of Saturday’s possession-changing plays proved important. When Stroud wasn’t misfiring, the Houston passing game was effective.

When Stroud found Tank Dell in the back of the end zone for his second touchdown pass of the game early in the third quarter, the Chiefs’ lead was down to one point, 17-16. The Texans had amassed 196 passing yards.

But on that scoring play, Dell collided with teammate Jared Wayne and suffered a game-ending knee injury. The Chiefs’ defense became more assertive after that, and in the four quarter KC held the Texans to minus-1 yard of offense.

“We knew we had to tighten up,” Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu said.

The second half produced no takeaways, but that’s when the Chiefs recorded their two sacks. The first was credited to defensive tackle Mike Pennel, who chased Stroud out of bounds for a five-yard loss.

The second came from Joshua Williams on a cornerback blitz. He dropped Stroud for a 12-yard loss that forced a punt with 4 1/2 minutes remaining.

Not the five-sack game from last week, but enough to put away a Texans team that’s already qualified for the playoffs as the AFC South champion.

“A total effort,” Omenihu said. “We’re coming together at the right time.”