Against Chiefs, Texans look to advance to first AFC title game in franchise history
As they pursued a fourth AFC South Division title in five years, the Texans went 4-1 in meaningful games down the stretch.
That put Houston in the AFC’s Wild Card round, where the Texans defeated the Buffalo Bills. Now, their path continues with a trip to Kansas City for the Divisional Round.
The Chiefs are looking to return to the AFC title game for the second straight year, while the Texans are seeking their first trip to what amounts to the NFL playoffs’ semifinal round.
Here’s a look at what makes the Texans tick.
Coach
Would the Texans drop a home Wild Card game for the second straight year? It looked possible for much of three quarters last Saturday when the Bills took a 16-0 lead. But a J.J. Watt sack ignited the crowd and the Texans rallied to capture a 22-19 victory in overtime. Bill O’Brien recorded his second postseason victory in six seasons as the Texans’ head coach and the organization will look to win its first road playoff game Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
Offense
QB Deshaun Watson authored one of the great comebacks in team history last week. His 20-yard touchdown run and keeper on the two-point conversion got the Texans on the board. In overtime, on a play few can make, he remained upright and completed a pass on the run to set up a game-winning field goal when it appeared two Bills had the sack in the bag. Watson has plenty of help from a wide receiving corps led by DeAndre Hopkins and running backs Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson.
The Houston passing offense can be pressured. Watson was sacked 44 times during the regular season, sixth most in the NFL, and seven times by the Bills Saturday. That wasn’t an issue the last time Houston played the Chiefs, who didn’t record a sack in the Texans’ 31-24 victory in October. The Houston offensive line will have to contend with a couple of defensive players who missed that regular-season meeting, lineman Chris Jones and linebacker Anthony Hitchens.
Houston put up 472 total yards that day, a season best against the Chiefs, and although Kansas City’s defense has improved throughout the season, coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s group will be missing a key player: rookie safety Juan Thornhill suffered a torn ACL in the Chiefs’ regular-season finale.
Defense
With the Texans trailing by 13 last weekend, Watt came up with a sack of Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Houston held Buffalo to a field goal from that point on, and the Texans came to life. It was pretty amazing Watt was even in the game. He suffered a torn pectoral muscle two months ago and figured to be out for the year. But he returned for the playoffs wearing a protective harness and turned in one of the game’s biggest plays.
One possession later, outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus came up with a sack to continue the momentum. Watt played 61 percent of the Texans’ defensive snaps Saturday, and that number will likely only increase on Sunday. But the Texans have had issues this season. They ranked 28th in total defense, yielding 388 yards per game.
The coach Andy Reid replaced in KC, Romeo Crennel, coordinates a Texans defense that missed 13 tackles against the Bills. “When you have the chance to make tackles, you have to make them,” Texans safety Justin Reid said.