Texans prepare for redemption in Kansas City with high stakes once again
Jan 17, 2025, 12:25 pm
Will this finally be the year Houston advances? Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images.
Andy Reid remembers quite well the previous time the Texans visited Kansas City for a divisional playoff game.
He was still considered among the best coaches to have never won the Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes was still a young, record-setting quarterback full of potential.
The Texans had Deshaun Watson, rather than C.J. Stroud, under center and he threw a pair of touchdown passes to help Houston race to a 24-0 lead inside a stunned Arrowhead Stadium.
“We didn't start off very well,” Reid recalled, “that's for sure.”
Their finish was nearly perfect. The Chiefs scored 28 second-quarter points and rolled from there to a 51-31 win, which not only sent them to the AFC title game, but provided the momentum that ultimately earned Reid his first Super Bowl title.
“Getting down like that,” Mahomes said, “things could have gone south real fast. I was proud of the resilience of the guys.”
Now, the Chiefs hope another win over the Texans on Saturday can catapult them toward an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title, and their fourth in a six-year span — a run that began with that divisional win over Houston on Jan. 12, 2020.
“I mean, it's been a fun run up to this point. But we want to get to that ultimate goal,” Mahomes said this week. “We know it's going to be challenging. So we have to just really focus on the day and how we can get better, and try to win the game.”
The Chiefs (15-2), who earned the No. 1 seed and lone first-round bye, haven't played many of their starters since clinching on Christmas Day. They chose to rest Mahomes and such stars as Travis Kelce and Chris Jones during a meaningless Week 18 loss in Denver, and risked the potential for rust to set in over 24 days between games against the need to get healthy.
The Texans (11-7), meanwhile, have started to build some momentum after beating the Titans in their regular-season finale and blowing out the Chargers during the wild-card round. They lost in Kansas City the weekend prior to Christmas, but neither team is putting much stock in that matchup — one of three they played during a brutal 11-day stretch.
“That was that week. It's different circumstances that happened in that particular week,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Now it's a new game for me. Fresh start. New game. We will attack it just like it's our first time playing these guys again.”
This is the sixth time the Texans have played for a spot in the AFC championship game. They have lost every one of the previous five.
“That would be huge. I didn’t know that, but I think that will be a huge accomplishment," Stroud said. "This team is really motivated to go up there and play some good ball against a great Kansas City team that has been in these moments forever. It is going to take all of us and take a lot of execution to get that done, so we have to be on our A-game.”
Tricky tackle situation
The Chiefs struggled most of the season to protect Mahomes' blind side, eventually moving All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney outside with Mike Caliendo in his place. The question now is whether they will stick with that lineup or move Thuney back to his natural spot and start D.J. Humphries, a one-time Pro Bowl left tackle who has played just two games because of injuries this season.
Watson's return
Jaylen Watson could play for Kansas City for the first time since breaking his ankle Oct. 20 against San Francisco. The third-year cornerback had become a reliable starter in the defensive backfield before getting hurt.
“Not telling you he could play a whole game,” Reid said, “but I think he has a chance to play for sure.”
A ‘special’ group
The Texans got two big plays from special teams in last week’s playoff win. D’Angelo Ross blocked a punt in the first quarter before returning a blocked extra point for two points in the fourth. The blocked punt was the first in a playoff game since the 2021 season and the PAT return was the first in NFL playoff history.
“The special teams unit came up big for us making some impact plays,” Ryans said. “Any time special teams can affect the game where it is taking the ball away, blocking the kick, it changes the game drastically.”
Mr. Reliable
Nico Collins has continued to star for the Texans despite the loss of fellow wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell to season-ending injuries. Collins led the team with 1,006 yards receiving in the regular season despite missing five games with an injury, and he had a franchise playoff-record 122 yards receiving and a touchdown against the Chargers last weekend.
“Very proud of Nico for what he’s been able to accomplish just all year, everything that he’s done,” Ryans said. “Even when everyone knows the ball is going to him, he still makes the play. So, excited for him and just his trajectory as a pro."
Golden papa
It was an exciting bye weekend for Mahomes, whose wife, Brittany, gave birth to their third child on Sunday. They named their new daughter Golden Raye, and she joins a family that includes another daughter, Sterling, and a son nicknamed Bronze.
“It was cool that football was on TV while I was in the hospital, so I was able to watch a little bit,” Mahomes said. “Brittany was kind enough to let us watch football as she was getting ready to give birth.”
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Houston (11-7) at Kansas City (15-2)
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST, ESPN/ABC
BetMGM NFL odds: Chiefs by 8.
Against the spread: Texans 8-8-2; Chiefs 8-9.
Series record: Chiefs lead 10-5.
Last meeting: Chiefs beats Texans 27-19 on Dec. 21 in Kansas City, Mo.
Last week: Texans beat Chargers 32-12; Chiefs off.
Texans offense: overall (18), rush (14), pass (20), scoring (16).
Texans defense: overall (3), rush (11), pass (6), scoring (11).
Chiefs offense: overall (16), rush (5), pass (13), scoring (15).
Chiefs defense: overall (8), rush (22), pass (18), scoring (4).
Turnover differential: Texans plus-10; Chiefs plus-6.
Texans player to watch
Derek Stingley became the first cornerback in Texans history to earn first-team All-Pro honors last week and joined J.J. Watt as the only two defensive players to make the team. Stingley had two interceptions, five passes defensed and forced a fumble Saturday against the Chargers. The third overall pick in the 2022 draft led a dominant defensive performance that intercepted Justin Herbert a career-high four times, including one that was returned for a touchdown. Stingley’s big game came after he had five interceptions and ranked second in the NFL with a career-high 18 passes defensed in the regular season.
Chiefs player to watch
Everything the Chiefs do starts with Patrick Mahomes, who is 15-3 in the playoffs and is 6-0 in the divisional round. He was excellent in a win over Houston the week before Christmas, throwing for 260 yards and a touchdown while running for 33 yards and another score on a bad ankle. He also enters the playoffs on a tear, having thrown for 1,524 yards with 11 touchdowns and no picks over his final six regular-season games — all of them wins.
Key matchup
Houston defensive ends Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter against the Kansas City offensive tackles. Anderson had 12 1/2 sacks to tie for fourth most in the NFL in the regular season, and Hunter was right behind with 12. Meanwhile, the Chiefs have struggled all season at left tackle, and could opt to put left guard Joe Thuney there — as they did late in the regular season — or start D.J. Humphries, a former Pro Bowl tackle who has appeared in just two games this season and struggled mightily against Denver in Week 18. Right tackle has not been much better with Jawaan Taylor tied for the second-most penalties in the NFL this season.
Key injuries
Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), guard Shaq Mason (knee), offensive lineman Juice Scruggs (ankle) and WR Robert Woods (hip) missed practice this week. DE Denico Autry (knee) and TE Dalton Schultz (shoulder) were limited.
The Chiefs are healthy after they were able to rest everybody of consequence in Week 18 with nothing to play for in Denver. They also could have DB Jaylen Watson back for the first time after he injured his left ankle against San Francisco on Oct. 20.
Series notes
The Chiefs have won four straight in the series beginning with a 51-31 win in Houston in the divisional round of the playoffs of the 2019 season, when they proceeded to win the first of their three Super Bowl titles under Andy Reid. They also won in Houston in the wild-card round in the 2015 season. The Texans have not beaten the Chiefs since a 31-24 victory at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 13, 2019. That is also their only win over the Chiefs since the 2016-17 season.
Stats and stuff
The Texans are in the divisional round for a second straight season and the sixth time overall while a win will put them in the AFC championship for the first time. … Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is the fifth coach since 2000 to win a playoff game in each of his first two seasons. … QB C.J. Stroud is the sixth quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of his first two seasons and the first QB in Texans history to win two playoff games. ... Houston RB Joe Mixon had 106 yards and a TD last week and has 701 yards of offense in eight playoff games. … Texans WR Nico Collins had 1,006 yards receiving in the regular season and 122 with a TD against the Chargers to set the franchise record for most yards receiving in a playoff game. He has at least five catches in each of his three playoff games and a TD catch in two of three. … Texans TE Dalton Schultz had a TD reception in his previous meeting with Kansas City. … Houston DE Danielle Hunter has a sack in each of his three road playoff games. ... Texans DE Will Anderson had two passes defensed and 1 1/2 sacks against the Chargers. He has a tackle for loss in each of his three playoff games. Houston S Eric Murray had seven tackles and returned an interception 38 yards for his first career TD last week. … CB Kamari Lassiter joined Watt as the only rookies in Texans history with an interception in a playoff game after he picked off Herbert in the second quarter last week. … Chiefs coach Andy Reid is one win away from 300. The only other coaches to reach that mark are Don Shula, George Halas and Bill Belichick. ... Reid has 26 postseason wins, second only to Belichick with 31. ... Mahomes has the fifth-most postseason TD passes with 41. He has the second-highest completion rate at 67.9 percent. ... Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has an NFL-record 165 catches in the playoffs. He has 1,903 yards receiving and 19 touchdowns, both second to Jerry Rice (2,245 yards and 22 TDs). ... Mahomes has a franchise-record 524 yards rushing in the postseason. RB Isiah Pacheco is second with 495.