Houston Texans vs Kansas City Chiefs Playoffs 2016 Preview, Team News: Can the Chiefs Finally Win a Playoff Game?
Any team that starts the season 1-5 is destined for an early exit, regardless of what professional sports it is. But the Kansas City Chiefs did the improbable, which is winning all remaining games after losing five of their first six. And now, they're harvesting the benefits of a magical regular season.
The Houston Texans, on the other hand, couldn't say the same. The AFC South champs finished the regular season with a 9-7 record, although they looked formidable in the middle part of the season. They now have to accept the fact that they won't be deemed favorites against the Chiefs heading into their wild card game on Saturday.
Kansas City Chiefs team news
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With a 10-game winning streak, this team looks to be one of the favorites to win it all; though they will have to deal with a great challenge in trying to make up for the loss of star running back Jamaal Charles to a knee injury. The Chiefs are the epitome of success based on teamwork this season, consistently running the ball with utmost effectiveness, playing defense, and winning mostly all turnover battles. Quarterback Alex Smith may be the aggressive type and loves to gamble, but his team is winning. As a matter of fact, Kansas City is ninth in the league in offense and third in defense. Those alone are good indications of their chances of winning this matchup against Houston.
Houston Texans team news
Like their wild card opponents, Houston will also be missing the services of their running back Arian Foster due to a season-ending Achilles injury. They looked vulnerable in many instances during the regular season, but the late-blooming defensive end J.J. Watt might just be what the doctor prescribed to challenge the Chiefs. He led the league with 17.5 sacks, which means he's more than capable of carrying the defensive load for the Texans. But the news of left tackle Duane Brown's injury is a big blow to the team's chances of progressing beyond the wild card.
It also is exciting to watch how two of the league's brightest prospects match up with each other in this one. There's Kansas City's cornerback Marcus Peters and Houston's wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. This game also features the possible return of Justin Houston from injury.
Finally, a good source of motivation for the Chiefs is the fact that they haven't won a playoff game for a very long time, and this is their biggest chance to change that.
