Chiefs: 5 reasons they will reach the playoffs

The Kansas City Chiefs are still going to make the playoffs, and I have five reasons as to why.

5. Justin Houston’s return

The Chiefs expect Houston to be back in November, which means we could only be without him for another three or four games. Houston’s return will change the entire dynamic of the defense, allowing Bob Sutton to do what he typically does.

Sutton likes to drop guys into coverage and primarily blitz on third down, something he can’t do when the team is failing to get pressure on a weekly basis. Kansas City got 22 sacks out of Houston in 2014 and another Pro Bowl campaign in 2015, despite him being limited to 10 games. It also bears mentioning that teams have to gameplan in a completely different way when Houston is on the field, staring down their quarterback.

If Houston comes back at full strength for the second half of the season, expect Kansas City to start playing defense at a top-five level. His presence also helps the secondary, which has to cover for much longer right now. Sometimes, one player really can make that much of a difference.