Four things to know about Kansas City Chiefs defense before matchup vs. Houston Texans
As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to face the Houston Texans on Saturday in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs, the quarterback battle between KC’s Patrick Mahomes and Houston’s C.J. Stroud will be under the microscope — for obvious reasons.
That said, the Chiefs’ defense played a big role in ensuring that KC (15-2) earned the AFC’s No. 1 seed. In fact, KC’s offense never scored above 30 points all season (hitting that mark exactly twice).
Here’s a closer look at the Chiefs’ stellar defense — and four things to know about it...
1. The Chiefs ranked No. 4 in points allowed per game (19.8).
The most points KC allowed all season was against the Broncos in the last week of the season; Denver scored 38 points, but KC’s defense largely played its backups against Denver starters.
On top of that, KC ranked fifth in opposing touchdowns allowed per game (2.2). The two teams have some familiarity, as KC played Houston on December 27 and won 27-19. The defense picked off Stroud twice.
2. KC’s defense is strong against the run.
The Chiefs allowed opponents to average just 4.1 yards per carry, ranking No. 7 in the NFL. On a per-game basis, opposing teams averaged 101.8 rushing yards per game, ranking eighth.
The Chiefs allowed 1,331 total rushing yards in the regular season. When these two squads faced off last, KC allowed only 84 rushing yards and zero rushing touchdowns.
3. The Chiefs are fantastic at limiting teams in the red zone.
KC ranks fifth in opponent red zone scoring percentage (51.85%). The Chiefs also figured out how to get to the quarterback, with a pressure percentage of 26.1% (fifth in the NFL).
Part of that ability to pressure the QB comes from defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. The Chiefs ranked fifth in total blitzes, which led to 59 QB hurries. KC had two sacks vs. the Texans in the last matchup.
4. Two Chiefs defensive players earned All-Pro honors.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback Trent McDuffie were the recipients. Jones made the first team while McDuffie was a second-team selection. Jones had at least six pressures in seven of his 15 games this year, adding 19 total tackles and five sacks, plus one forced fumble.
McDuffie, meanwhile, had the second-highest Pro Football Focus grade among all cornerbacks, behind only Denver’s Patrick Surtain II. McDuffie finished with 45 total tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble.
