Enough to Spoil the Fun?

Divisional round. First game. Are you ready? I am. Only so many more of these playoff games left. Let’s cherish them while we can. For the first game in the Saturday slate, we have a classic AFC matchup between two teams who have some playoff history. Five years ago, these two teams faced off in the Divisional round, both competing for a chance to move on. The Chiefs were unproven at the time, and the Texans had a different young core, made up by the likes of Deshaun Watson, Deandre Hopkins, and J.J Watt. The Chiefs would mount a huge comeback after trailing 24-0 and ultimately give Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes their first Super Bowl. This game between two familiar foes will surely not disappoint, but will it turn out the same way as five years ago? Or will there be new champions?

OK, as dramatic as that introduction may have been, I don’t know how the Texans take on the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and win. The path is possible, tangible even, but challenging to even see. Against the Chargers, the Texans were basically getting beaten down in the first half. C.J. Stroud was really inaccurate for a half, they couldn’t get any offense going, and they were having a tough time stopping Justin Herbert on offense. That all changed eventually, as the Texans would score before half and their defense would help carry them to victory by stymying Los Angeles’ offense. I think it’s a two-parter for this Texans team. First, you must be better on offense. The Chiefs finished the season ranked 9th in total defense, 8th in run defense, and 4th in points allowed. This is team that is used to being prolific on offense with Mahomes, but if, like this year, their offense is not as strong as it was in years past, they then turn to their defense to be their anchor. They have a veteran defensive coordinator in Steve Spagnuolo, who’s won Super Bowls with the Chiefs and the Giants. This defense is going to look to stifle every avenue of production in the Texans offense, so they must be quicker in their start. Not like last week, where they get saved on a 3rd and 16 which essentially kickstarted their entire offense before the half. Secondly, they need to be as dominant, if not more, on defense. Between Will Anderson Jr., Derek Stingley, Christian Harris, Azeez Al-Shaair, or Danielle Hunter, this defense is stacked. And, they can impact games and change outcomes. Look at last week. That’ s the blueprint. Remember it well, because if they can do this, they have a chance to beat this Chiefs team. Anything less than perfect and they’ll be going home, because they’re 0-5 as a franchise in Divisional round games.

Now if you’re the Chiefs, your eyes are on one thing: a Super Bowl. It never mattered who they would be facing. They have a task at hand and will do anything to complete that task. That’s how good teams operate. That’s how Super Bowl winning teams operate. Bills, Texans, Ravens, Steelers, Chargers, whoever. It never mattered to this team. They will be ready. Now, if there was a way for them to lose this game, it comes clear on one side. I doubt, this Chiefs team gets run and passed on all game, their defense will hold strong. But, if they have a weak offensive performance, similar to that of many games this regular season, and the Texans are on their game, this game could end up being more challenging for the Chiefs than originally thought. The Chiefs don’t have too many weapons in the pass game, but they still have Travis Kelce and Isiah Pacheco, who can turn any game on its head. I like the Chiefs here in pretty much any scenario. They have the pedigree and understanding, so I’ll take them 24-17. But Houston may have enough momentum and drive from their last game to spoil some fun.

POSTGAME:

A lot of America is displeased with the way this game ended up going. Not because the Chiefs won, but because how they won. Let me be clear before explaining myself. The Chiefs won this game. There were definitely some calls that impacted the game, extending drives for the Chiefs and keeping the ball in their hands, but they mostly outplayed Houston. They kept a comfortable 7-point cushion most of the game and kept the Texans at arm’s length. Statistically, it was not a good game for anyone on the Chiefs, outside of Travis Kelce, who secured 7 catches for 117 yards and 1 TD. In fact, this was the first playoff game, where a team who had more total yards, first downs, total plays, and time of possession, lost the game. Maybe it’s on the Texans for not executing properly or not being disciplined enough on defense. Whatever the case may be, the Texans were most definitely at fault for their loss. However, there are some things to note that seems to be a constant with Kansas City.

The Chiefs once again had half the penalties and penalty yardage their opponents had, and there were a few calls that shouldn’t have been flagged. Both were hits on Patrick Mahomes. One was from Will Anderson Jr. in the pocket. Another was from two defenders tackling Mahomes on a scramble, who coincidently hit each other in the head, not Mahomes. Of course, this was flagged, and KC was given an extra 15 yards and a first down. Then there was a play where Mahomes tried to draw a foul being pushed out of bounds. I draw the line here. I’m all for generational talent, even dynasties. But man, this guy knows what he’s doing. He’s well aware of the cushion he gets and knows he can get away with most calls just because he’s him. Add some theatrics to the mix and it’s game over. This is a good team that has won Super Bowls. I don’t know why they feel the need to complain to the refs every time something doesn’t go their way (I.E. the Bills game where Mahomes vocally complained about bad calls all postgame and made a literal stink about a regular season loss.) Haters usually come from success, so KC has some haters. But this is not the type of hate you want. You want hate because you’re good, not because people think you basically cheat to win games, (which I’m not implying they do.) They will face a tough Bills team, who is looking for a lot of revenge due to some, shall we say bad calls. Let’s see if Buffalo can finally do it.