The Kansas City Chiefs travel to NRG Stadium to face the Houston Texans in the first round of the NFL playoffs. The Chiefs currently have the longest winning streak entering the postseason, and they earned a wild card spot against the Houston Texans. The Texans battled back this season to win the AFC South division title, and head coach Bill O'Brien will look for his team to prove they are better than their 9-7 record on wild card weekend.
Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer is preparing himself for his first ever playoff start and is treating it no differently than any other week. "You go in an prepare the same way," said Hoyer, via the Texans' team website. "The only thing that's different is now there is one less day to prepare." Hoyer returned the field in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday after sitting out two games with a concussion.
Hoyer has had arguably his best NFL season in his first year in Houston and has thrown for 2,606 yards and a career-high 19 touchdowns to seven interceptions. Hoyer will look to target star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, as he is having another huge season in Houston. The third-year wide out has improved each season he has played with the Texans and finished the regular season with the third-highest amount of receiving yards in the NFL. Hopkins has 111 receptions on the season for 1,521 yards and has scored 11 touchdowns.
While Hopkins is clearly the star player on the offense for the Texans, defensive end J.J. Watt is the face of the franchise and arguably the best overall player in all of the NFL. The 6-foot-5, 289-pound defensive end has had another incredible season for the Texans, recording 17.5 sacks and forcing three fumbles. Watt is second on the team in tackles behind linebacker Brian Cushing, and expect both to create havoc for the Chiefs offense.
Kansas City started the 2015 season with a 1-5 record, and after losing star running back Jamaal Charles for the season, no one truly expected them to make the playoffs, let alone win 10-straight games. The Chiefs were clearly one of the biggest surprises from the 2015 season given their start, but Andy Reid has continually produced playoff teams both in Kansas City and in Philadelphia.
Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith is having the best season in his NFL career and has thrown for a career-high 3,486 yards with 20 touchdowns to seven interceptions. Smith has become a dual threat behind center this season and has rushed for 489 yards and scored two touchdowns on the ground. Smith will look to control the pace of Saturday's matchup, as time of possession could be a major factor in this wild card game.
It's truly a battle between two dominant defenses on Saturday, and the Chiefs are expected to get a key player back in linebacker Justin Houston. The Chiefs star linebacker has been out with a hyperextended knee, but he is expected to make his return against the Texans. There is reportedly concern regarding how healthy Houston will be on Saturday, and condition and reaction time are the reasons behind some of the concerns. The Chiefs linebacker has 7.5 sacks this season and two interceptions, and combined with Chiefs leading tackler Derrick Johnson, the Chiefs are clearly a difficult matchup for any team.
Both teams have lost key pieces this season, and both have bounced back after tough starts to make the playoffs. Defense is the key in this matchup, as both franchises are loaded with talent on the defensive side of the ball.
Where To Watch: ESPN/ABC at 4:35 p.m. Eastern time.
Online Live Stream: click here.
Houston Texans Radio Broadcast: click here.
Kansas City Chiefs Radio Broadcast: click here.
