To quote WWE Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross, Sunday night's historic 20-10 win against the Kansas City Chiefs (6-7) was a good 'ol fashioned "slobberknocker" of an affair. 

Riding a four-game win streak, and combating against recent history itself, the Texans (8-5) needed every ounce of fight they could muster to topple quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium last night. 

While quarterback C.J. Stroud and the performance of the offense will certainly be part of the discussion, it was yet again the historic play of Houston's defense that stole the show (and the win). 

Overall, the Texans defense held Mahomes to arguably the worst overall stat line of his career. Against Houston, he went: 14/33, 160 yards (4.8 avg), zero TDs, three INTs, two sacks and a 19.8 passer rating. It took a combination of relentless pressure from the defensive line and stifling coverage from secondary. 

Yet, two defenders stood out above the rest. That would be defensive backs Kamari Lassiter and Jalen Pitre, who played one of the best tandem games for a pair of Texans defensive backs in franchise history on Sunday night. 

The "Locksmith" Goes To Work

Starting with Lassiter, he left Sunday's slugfest with six total tackles (five solo), two passes defended (one of which saved a touchdown in the third quarter) and an interception.

Teams have no chance but to test Lassiter in coverage, seeing as though his opposite in Derek Stingley Jr. is always patrolling on his side of the defensive formation. 

With that said, Lassiter's physical play and high-level ball skills always make him a threat to flip a game whenever the football is thrown his way.

Last night against the Chiefs was no different, as evidenced by grabbing his third interception of the year on a "3rd and 6" deep ball throw by Mahomes intended for receiver Marquise Brown at the beginning of the 4th quarter (it gave Houston possession at their 16-yard line).

He has been the perfect addition to the Texans' secondary since being selected in the second round out of Georgia in last year's NFL draft. 

Pitre's Punishment of Patrick's Passes

Not to be outdone, Pitre might've played the game of his career against the Chiefs. On the evening, Pitre managed six total tackles (four solo), two passes defended, an interception and one of the nastiest hits by a defensive back one will ever see in the modern NFL (that wasn't flagged).

Pitre's interception in the second quarter was a thing of beauty, as he tipped a Mahomes pass himself near the Texans- 45-yard line to give Houston possession at their own 43 (the pass was intended for receiver Juju Smith-Schuster). 

The former Baylor Bear signed a contract extension with the Texans in the offseason, keeping him in Houston on a three-year, $39 million deal (with $30 million guaranteed).

He currently ranks 37th among defensive backs in total contract value per overthecap.com. With how transformational his performance is for this Texans defense on a down-by-down basis, he is panning out to be one of the biggest bargains in the NFL. 

If it weren't for the effort provided by this duo of young defensive stars, we might be bemoaning yet another Houston loss to Kansas City in a "must-win" situation. 

What were your thoughts on how dominant these two were in the secondary Sunday night? Let us know in the comment section below and on the official Texans Roundtable X account, @Texans_RTB!