NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
Whenever you face the two-time defending champs, you’re always going to be in for an uphill battle. Hopefully, the Houston Texans are up for the challenge when they face the Kansas City Chiefs this Saturday for their Division Round matchup. After the Chiefs beat the Texans late in the regular season, Houston better come looking for revenge if they want to advance past this round. How can they prevent a repeat performance?
Well, there’s a big problem here for Houston. Kansas City is coming off the first-round bye so not only are they rested, they’re also getting healthy. While that might be a cause for concern, it’s not a death sentence if the Texans can keep up. Statistically, the Chiefs were average this year. There’s not a single running back, wide receiver, or tight end who bit 1,000 yards for their position. Not a single one of them produced double-digit touchdowns. However, it’s the Chiefs, they don’t have to have their best game, or their best season, to beat you. This team knows how to win and the only way to beat them is by keeping your head on a swivel. Defensively, you cannot allow the extra yards, you have to swarm the football. Whether it’s Patrick Mahomes scrambling out of the pocket, Travis Kelce catching a pass over the middle, or the duo of Hunt/Pacheco pushing the pile, you have to stop them in their tracks.
The Chiefs can move the football and they do it in a craft way. Their bread and butter is enough to throw you off guard, and then they slide in casual misdirection plays that defenses aren’t often ready for. The Texans can’t allow it. They have to hit them early and hit them hard. The only way to slow them down is to wear them down. Don’t play dirty, but let them know they’ll have to earn every inch of every yard and do so without penalty.
On the offensive side of the football, you have to attack with creativity. C.J. Stroud will have to be at his best this weekend and see the whole field. KC was in the middle of the pack for pass defense and the opportunities will be there. Locking on to one target or pounding the football between the tackles to no success won’t survive long. Houston needs to find ways to get guys out to the flats while also working the mid-to-long game. They’ll need to take chances to keep the defense honest without overdoing it and handing the ball right back to Mahomes. He’s the guy who can make you pay so you have to play keep-away. It will be tough since the team lost Tank Dell, but someone will have to step up. It might even be time for the Texans to open up the playbook a little with some tricks of their own but in a calculated manner. You can’t go out there and start slinging dirt, you have to play clean/crisp football.
From a coaching standpoint, no offense to DeMeco Ryans, but you’re going to get out-coached. Andy Reid is a gamer. He led the Eagles to multiple postseason runs and he’s got the Chiefs going for a 3-peat. However, not all is lost. You can still win this game. To beat the Chiefs, you have to play the long game. There’s no letting off the gas pedal and every time you touch the ball you have to put points on the board. Whether you’re up 3 or up 30, put points on the board. Who cares if the media says you’re “running up the score.” You don’t give guys like Travis Kelce, Andy Reid, and Patrick Mahomes an opportunity to make a comeback. It may sound ruthless, but championships aren’t won by taking it easy. Have class and sportsmanship, but don’t let up until that final whistle blows.
While it may seem inevitable that the Kansas City Chiefs will 3-peat, that’s why you play the game. Teams have been upset in the past and the Chiefs are human just like the rest of their opponents. If the Houston Texans can bring the energy without playing careless football, they have a real shot to win this game.
