Houston ? Preseason games don’t count in the standings, but after what the Houston Texans went through last season, any win is cause for celebration.

Saturday night’s 24-14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Gary Kubiak’s first outing as coach of the Texans was met with a bit of excitement and a whole lot of optimism.

“This was good for coach Kubiak,” said quarterback David Carr. “He got his first win as a Texan, preseason or not. It was nice to get that under our belt.”

Houston’s starters played only one quarter, but it was enough to see that Kubiak’s newly installed offense has made a difference.

Carr led the Texans on one touchdown drive to match his total from all of last preseason.

His 20 yards rushing in the first quarter was a preseason career high.

The Texans also matched a franchise record for first downs in the first half with 12. The defense also looked good, recording five sacks – the second most in team history.

While the 11 plays that No. 1 draft pick Mario Williams participated in were mostly forgettable, two other rookies – DeMeco Ryans and Wali Lundy – had outstanding debuts.

Ryans, a hard-hitting linebacker picked in the second round out of Alabama, led the team in tackles with four solo and two assists.

“Once I got my first hit out there it calmed me down and took me back to college,” Ryans said. “I just tried to run around and make plays. To get out there and know you can do it, it builds your confidence. Now I see myself going out and getting better and better.”

Kansas City quarterback Casey Printers (7) fumbles as he's tackled by Houston's John Chick. The Texans beat the Chiefs, 24-14, in a preseason game Saturday in Houston.

Lundy, a sixth-round pick from Virginia, had a 25-yard run and scored on a 3-yard scamper in the first quarter. He had nine carries for a Texans first half preseason record of 59 yards.

“The system fits me perfect,” he said. “All I have to do is go out there and do what I do.”

Some people were surprised by Lundy’s performance, but Kubiak was not among them.

“I expected him to play pretty good,” Kubiak said. “He handles himself like a professional, he had a great camp, and nothing is too big for him.”

Eric Moulds played his first game for Houston after being traded from Buffalo in the offseason. He caught Carr’s first pass of the game for 11 yards and also had an eight-yard reception.

“Hopefully this is what I can give on a consistent basis in the regular season,” Moulds said. “I’m having a lot of fun with it and trying to get this team a lot of wins. We have enough core guys on this offense where we can bring success here to Houston.”

Kubiak said he was proud of the team’s effort against the Chiefs, but that they still have a lot of work to “clean up what we’re doing.”

“We might have used up a few guys a little too much as far as game time is concerned, but that’s something we as coaches will have to go back and evaluate,” he said.