The Chiefs started 1-5 and looked even more hopeless when it
was announced that their star running back, Jamaal Charles, was done for the
season with a knee injury. Then they magically got better.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t magic. Maybe it was their All Pro Safety,
Eric Berry, rounding into shape as
he bounced back from cancer; or maybe another it was Sean Smith, getting
back to his ball-hawking ways that helped the secondary sure-up behind their
vicious pass-rushing. Or maybe it was newly-acquired Jeremy Maclin getting on
to the same page with the QB, Alex Smith. Regardless of what it was, Kansas
City proceeded to run off 10 straight wins and enters into the postseason as
the hottest team in the NFL. Not a bad way to be going into the playoffs, huh?
Kudos to Bill O’Brien for being able to coach a team to the
playoffs that started four different QBs this season (ask the Cowboys how
difficult a feat that is). Like their counterpart, the beginning of this season
was fraught with peril, as well. The
Texans won two games through seven and looked to be headed towards missing the
playoffs yet again.
Simply put, J. J. Watt and the rest of the Texans defense wasn’t
having it. Through the last ten weeks of
the season, the defense was the highest scoring defensive unit in football. Everyone
knows how great Watt is, but Whitney Mercilus, Vince Wilfork, Brian Cushing, and the oft-injured Jadaveon
Clowney help to form a menacing front seven that kept the Texans in games all
season. The fact that this unit
essentially fireman’s carried this team to the playoffs despite the multiple
signal-callers at the helm is the best case for why Watt deserves Defensive
Player of the Year.
Matchup
Houston’s offense vs KC’s defense
The Texans will have original starter, Brian Hoyer, at the quarterback position. He came back for their final game against
Jacksonville that wrapped up their AFC South title. The offense has been
middling, finishing 21st in points scored per game, but with the
game of musical chairs at quarterback (Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, TJ Yates, and BJ
Daniels have all seen time under Center), that number may be a bit misleading…as
their recent back to back 30+ point performances that came against Jacksonville
and Tennessee may be. The truth, as with most things, probably lies in the
middle. Speaking of the truth, their 2nd
team All Pro wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, has been a much needed shot in the
arm for a team that lost Arian Foster earlier in the year. Their injuries at the running back position hasn’t
stopped them from topping the century mark on the ground in six of the past
seven games played. They’ll need a great
performance from their starter Fitzgerald Touissant in order to stay in this
game and keep the pressure off Hoyer.
Hoyer’s pressure will come in the form of Justin Houston,
Tamba Hali and a unit that ranked 4th in sacks this season. Make no doubt, while the Texans’ defense
scored more frequently than the their counterpart, the Chiefs are a more
complete unit. Berry and Smith help form
a ball-hawking defense that was second in the league in interceptions. Combine that with that fearsome front, and
the Texans will be in for a long day.
KC’s offense vs Houston’s Defense
Kansas City’s offense was much maligned headed into the
year. Last season, Alex Smith somehow
went 16 games without throwing a TD to a wide receiver, a dubious record if there
ever was one. Enter Maclin and the
offense has 11 TDs attributed to WRs.
Studying Smith’s numbers reveals that over the ten game winning streak,
his INT% is down and his yards per pass attempt is up over his career
average. While Charles is obviously a
great running back, because of his injury Smith has had to be more aggressive
with his throws; Alex “Check down” Smith may be dead forever.
Smith has had only one test against a defense like Houston;
his game against the rival Broncos was the second lowest passer rating he had
during the Chief’s winning streak (and that was without Aqib Talib or DeMarcus
Ware). It will be imperative that Houston
keep the scoring low so that their weaker offense has a chance to make a big play
with Hopkins and company. If they can
generate turnovers, points, or a series of short fields, perhaps this team has
a chance.
Outcome: Kansas City
is getting three points on the road, I expect a low scoring affair. Take the points, but I think the Chiefs win
a close one in Houston, 21-20.
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