THE Kansas City Chiefs will have their hands full against the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.
Although Kansas City beat Houston in Week 16 of the regular season, the Chiefs’ starters haven’t played in nearly a month.
Meanwhile, the Texans managed to pull off an impressive win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the playoff round last week and should have momentum on their side against the defending Super Bowl champions.
Kansas City will benefit from the experience, but after so much time off, the Chiefs can’t afford to fall flat against Houston if they intend to follow through on their aspirations of completing the first-ever Super Bowl three-peat of the NFL.
Take a look at our official predictions for Kansas City’s playoff game against the Texans:
Ed Easton Jr.’s prediction
The Kansas City Chiefs officially kick off their playoff journey toward a trio of Super Bowl hopes against the Houston Texans. The two teams already faced each other a month ago at Arrowhead Stadium, so there is some familiarity.
The offense will use the run early, often with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt opening up play opportunities for Patrick Mahomes to shoot down the field. Xavier Worthy won’t let his nerves from the first postseason game affect his performance, while Travis Kelce and DeAndre Hopkins’ postseason success story will be on display.
Defensively, the attention garnered by defensive tackle Chris Jones will continue to affect his teammates and put pressure on quarterback CJ Stroud. Trent McDuffie and the secondary will take advantage of the takeaways, while Nick Bolton and the linebackers will be chasing the ball carriers and knocking off the rust from not playing since Christmas Day. Harrison Butker will be efficient and effective, showing that he is already in playoff shape.
Final score: Chiefs 24, Texans 14
Jon Ediger’s prediction
The Kansas City Chiefs’ quest for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat begins today as they host the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round.
The Chiefs are coming off a two-week rest and are well prepared to face quarterback CJ Stroud and the Texans. The defending Super Bowl champions will make good use of the extended rest period and open up the passing game for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City also received some good news this week: cornerback Jaylen Watson returns from injured reserve, which will certainly provide a boost to the Chiefs secondary.
The Texans are in great shape after last week’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers and will be looking for revenge following their loss to Kansas City in the regular season. Stroud struggled during the regular season, but managed to find his footing in the wild-card round and enters Saturday’s game with a chip on his shoulder. The dynamic shooting guard will do what he can to give Houston a chance, but will ultimately fail to defeat the powerful Chiefs at home.
Final score: Chiefs 27, Texans 20
Andrew Garcia’s prediction
When these two teams met in Week 16, the Chiefs gained valuable information on the Texans that should help them exploit their weaknesses on the field in today’s AFC Divisional Round matchup ‘today. While the same could arguably be said for Houston learning to exploit Kansas City, teams dig deep into their playbook and perform at their best when facing the Chiefs during the regular season. It’s unlikely the Texans have many more tricks up their sleeves for today.
Fans can expect to see a similar game to their previous encounter. Houston’s defense put considerable pressure on Mahomes, but they couldn’t stop him from making a 15-yard run for a touchdown and he threw an interception-free game. While the Texans managed to score 19 points in Week 16, CJ Stroud struggled to target his receivers, throwing two interceptions.
Houston is a formidable opponent and cruised its way into the AFC Divisional Round with a spirited victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. But I expect the Texans’ playoff run to be cut short this week when they’re dominated from every angle by Kansas City.
Final score: Chiefs 31, Texans 26
John Dillon’s prediction
It would be a shame to see Kansas City’s quest to win a third straight Super Bowl title end in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs, and Chiefs fans should prepare for the worst.
While I’m still going to pick Kansas City to win this game, the extended rest period could backfire on the Chiefs’ starters and result in a slow start for the team as key players reacclimate to the playoff environment.
While the lack of recent playing time concerns me, Kansas City has significant playoff experience under its belt, and it seems inconceivable that the Chiefs would lose to a team they just beat last month.
As such, I predict that this game will end in a Kansas City victory, but that the result will be far too close for Chiefs fans to be comfortable about the team’s trajectory heading into the game. AFC Championship.
Final score: Chiefs 22, Texans 21
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This article was originally published on Chiefs Wire: Predictions for the Chiefs’ divisional round playoff game against the Texans
