The 2016 NFL Playoffs are officially here and your Texans’ quest to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the first time in 
franchise history begins in NRG Stadium Saturday afternoon. This bunch did not resemble a team capable of a playoff run early in the season but eventually the group found a rhythm and won seven of their last nine games. Despite the whirlwind at the quarterback position the team showed a cohesiveness and finished the season 9-7, wrapping up their third division title in the last five seasons.
The first team seeking to end Houston’s Super Bowl pursuit will be the 5th seeded Kansas City Chiefs. Saturday will be the second meeting between these two teams, as the Chiefs won the first matchup in Week 1 of the regular season. If you want to forecast how the game will play out and are looking for a correlation effect between the first meeting and this one, don’t. Both teams are entirely different from who they were when they met opening weekend.
Some Perspective
Several NFL pundits have been claiming that over the last two months Kansas City has been playing the best football in the 
league as they boast a league-best 10 game win streak entering the playoffs. However, an argument can be made that they have simply been the beneficiaries of a favorable schedule and taken advantage.
This is who the Chiefs have played in the win streak that has some people calling them a sleeper Super Bowl pick. Stop me when I get to a team you would fear Houston playing in this wild card round:
- Pittsburgh with Landry Jones starting at QB
- Detroit
- Denver with early season Peyton Manning (5-20) 4 INTs this game
- San Diego
- Buffalo
- Oakland
- San Diego
- Baltimore
- Cleveland
- Oakland
In the win streak the Chiefs faced only two playoff opponents, (Pittsburgh and Denver) but both were dealing with injuries to their Hall of Fame quarterbacks. I credit their defense for orchestrating perhaps the worst game of Peyton Manning’s storied career but other than that win, nothing else jumps off the screen for me. After Denver, Kansas City did not face a playoff opponent in their final seven games of the season so excuse me if I take that win streak with a grain of salt.
About the Chiefs
With all that said, Kansas City still poses a viable threat to end Houston’s season this weekend. Their offense has been humming recently thanks in part to a more confident and aggressive Alex Smith. Head coach Andy Reid gave Smith more control of the offense after the team’s struggling 1-5 start because he trusts Smith’s IQ at the line of scrimmage.
Smith in turn, has responded with some of the best play of his career. Now, the steady quarterback carries that momentum into the playoffs where he has posted a career 108.6 QB rating and has thrown the most touchdowns without an interception in postseason history.
Although without Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs offense has continued to thrive with Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware filling in for the All-Pro running back. They combined for 1,037 yards and five TDs after Charles went down, keeping the rushing attack alive. Their receiving corps is also formidable, thanks to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin who caught over 1,000 yards and eight TDs and tight end Travis Kelce who recorded just under 900 yards receiving and five TDs.
On the defensive side of the ball, Kansas City is absolutely dominant, just ask Brian Hoyer. Remember when Bill O’Brien made 
Ryan Mallet the starter for Week 2 against Carolina? Well, it was Kansas City’s hounding defense that forced O’Brien to question his decision to make Hoyer the starter coming out of training camp, ultimately leading to Hoyer’s benching.
Hoyer had his worst game of the season, earning a total QBR of 12.3 before being relieved in the fourth quarter but he and Houston fans hope for different results this time around.
The Chiefs are so good defensively because they have tremendous talent at every level. Eric Berry has returned to help lead the unit at safety. Rookie corner Marcus Peters actually leads the league in interceptions. Linebackers Derrick Johnson and Justin Houston are as good as they come at that position.
They also have one of the top defensive lines in the league, demonstrated by their sack total of 47, good for fourth in the league. They get sacks, they force turnovers, and they keep teams out of the end zone. That’s all you can ask out of an NFL defense.
Key Contributor
If the Texans are going to win this game and advance to the divisional 
round it will be because of their best player J.J. Watt. The most dominant defensive force of his generation, Watt leads all defensive linemen in sacks (17.5), QB hits (50), tackles for loss (29) and passes defensed (8).
His play will be pivotal in this game as Houston will need him to disrupt the rhythm of Alex Smith and maybe rush him into making some out of character throws or bad decisions. Watt goes into another gear when fueled by the Houston fans at NRG delivering 11.5 sacks and 36 QB knockdowns in eight games this year. He will also be playing without the cast on his hand so there will be nothing holding him back from delivering a signature performance.
Outlook
The Chiefs and Texans are a combined 16-2 since Week 8 and I would point that success primarily to the defense of both teams. Over that same span, Houston ranks first in every major defensive category while Kansas City ranks just behind in points per game and third-down defense. Neither of these teams has allowed more than 13 points in a game since Week 8 and I don’t expect Saturday’s wild card game to be any different. This will be a defensive battle that won’t deliver many offensive highlights but will be a treat for fans of defensive clashes. Houston has a legitimate shot to advance, now it’s up to them to capitalize on the opportunity.
