Hey it’s Ari Alexander with the Texans newsletter, and this is an all-timer of a week for the Houston Texans.
They’ve had a handful of divisional round chances, and have never been able to make it past this round. They are 0-5 in divisionals, and this matchup is no easier than any other time. The Kansas City Chiefs, who I’m sure many non-Chiefs fans are tired of, have gotten the attention for good reason.
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If the Texans can manage to beat the 15-2 Chiefs, the two-time defending champs, it would be without question the greatest win in franchise history.
WHAT THEY’RE DEALING WITH
Patrick Mahomes. Travis Kelce. Taylor Swift. You know the deal. They won’t lose. Or when they do lose, they just come back and win again. 2023 champions with a new level of attention due to the Swift. 2022, champions. 2021 AFC championship loss to the Bengals. 2020 loss to Tom Brady’s Bucs in the Super Bowl. 2019, champions, including *that* game vs. the Texans in this exact round.
They have receivers now. Travis Kelce may have slowed down, but Hollywood Brown is healthy, Xavier Worthy is coming into his own and oh yeah old friend DeAndre Hopkins still makes clutch catches on third downs.
They have a defense led by Nick Bolton and former Texan Justin Reid that makes enough plays to give Mahomes what he needs to succeed.
They are undeniably very, very good and there’s a reason they are where they are.
SO HOW DO YOU BEAT THE CHIEFS?
Well, essentially you don’t. But it has happened three times in the playoffs. Tom Brady, Tom Brady, and Joe Burrow are the quarterbacks who have done it.
This season the Chiefs have one loss with Mahomes playing, so how did that happen? Was it their usual way of playing with their food and then not catching up? No!
The Bills were able to put together a phenomenal 2nd half, with a pre-half field goal for good measure. Trailing 14-13, Buffalo held the ball for the last three minutes of the 2nd quarter, and got a field goal to take a 2-point lead. After trading punts, Buffalo struck first with a TD, to take a two possession lead. The teams traded touchdowns, with the final one being the one to put Kansas City away and that’s how you do it. The Chiefs had two explosive plays all game, and they kept Mahomes under 200 yards, and forced him to throw 2 interceptions.
WHAT’S NEXT
The tied-for-1st biggest game in franchise history! Saturday at 3:30 p.m., like usual. Chiefs vs. Texans at Arrowhead.
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