Texans vs. Chiefs: Madden ’20 predicts big things for Tyreek Hill

The Kansas City Chiefs go to battle against the Houston Texans in what should be an offense-heavy matchup. What does Madden say about it?

The Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans in Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday afternoon, and this week’s Madden ’20 sim should hopefully give Chiefs fans confidence in their team heading into this game.

Despite quarterback Patrick Mahomes having a rather decent game statistically, the Chiefs fell short last week against the Indianapolis Colts in a game they should have won.

Let’s check out this week’s Madden simulation for a prediction at how things might play out.

First Half

The game started out with the Chiefs winning the toss and deferring the ball to the Texans. Most of the first half was uneventful for the Texans, favoring the Chiefs. On its opening drive, the Texans started out hot. Quarterback Deshaun Watson drove down the field and found tight end Darren Fells for a 10-yard touchdown pass to cap an 80-yard drive, one that heavily favored the run game. Watson completed just 4 passes on the drive.

The Chiefs quickly responded with a touchdown drive of their own, capped by a 35-yard reception by Tyreek Hill to tie the game. Hill, who has been injured for the last 4-plus games, has a very high chance of playing against the Texans on Sunday. This simulation has him going in triple digits in receiving yards. It is also worth mentioning that much of the first quarter was dominated by the run game for both teams, as LeSean McCoy saw the majority of the workload for the Chiefs.

After finishing the first quarter with a tied score of 7-7, the Chiefs started the second with the ball. After a sack by defensive end J.J. Watt on Mahomes, the offense found themselves in a 3rd-and-12 situation on their own 20 yard-line. Mahomes quickly responded with a 13-yard strike to wide receiver Mecole Hardman. Although it may not seem flashy, it still got the job done. Mahomes and his offense proceeded to drive down the field, and cap off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown reception by McCoy.

The next drive was a rather short one by the Texans, as three straight run stops forced a three-and-out for the Chiefs’ defense. This quickly led to a punt, which all but started the Texans’ demise. The rest of the second quarter followed the same pattern: quick strikes by Mahomes, a heavy run-game, and great receiver play led the Chiefs to a 21-10 lead at the half. Hill had been playing lights out in this simulation, and it would only go up from there in the second half.

Second Half

Games like this almost seem boring to watch (if you’re a Texans fan). Blowouts are never fun for the suffering team, and while 21-10 isn’t exactly a blowout, it is not far off. Things would only get worsel for the Texans in this Madden simulation. Despite their best efforts, the team was just unable to hold up against Mahomes and his high-caliber offense, which was definitely missing Hill. His return was one of the main reasons the Chiefs performed at the level that they did.

On the opening drive of the second half, the Chiefs drove down the field and found themselves in a 4th-and-1 situation on Houston’s 44-yard line. After a questionable spot, the Chiefs turned the ball over on downs to the Texans. This would prove to be one of the only times that the Chiefs’ offense stuttered. The Texans barely squeaked by on offense, with the opposing defense holding strong and forcing them to kick a field goal.

The next drive saw Mahomes drive down the field, using up a fairly decent amount of clock. With just 2:46 left on the ticker, Mahomes threw a 24-yard touchdown to Hill to cap a very lengthy and time-consuming drive. The following drive by the Texans was short and sweet, ending the third quarter on their own 44-yard line.

The very next play, which came on the first play of the fourth quarter, safety Juan Thornhill intercepted Watson’s pass and returned it for 15 yards. Being down 28-13 in the fourth quarter, a turnover was the last thing the Texans needed. McCoy took over on the following drive, rushing 4 times and catching an 11-yard reception. The drive ended with a touchdown pass to Travis Kelce, who had been rather quiet for the majority of the game.

Safety Tyrann Mathieu, who had a great game last week against the Colts, came up big for the Chiefs against the Texans in this Madden simulation. On a 1st & 10 play, Mathieu came off the edge and was heading full-steam for Watson, who managed to get the ball off—right into Mathieu’s hands. Although he didn’t pick it off, he did manage to knock it away and cause even more turmoil for the Texans’ offense. Further in the drive, seeing no other option on 4th-and-14, the Texans went for it. It ended up being to their own expense, however, as Will Fuller managed to catch a pass for just 4 yards.

With just 4 minutes left, one would assume the Chiefs would take it slow and burn out the clock. That just wasn’t the case. On 3rd-and-6, Mahomes stepped back and chucked a 55-yard bomb in the air to Hill, who caught it and ran it in for another 19 yards. This 74-yard reception capped off a dominant offensive performance by the Chiefs, and an impressive defensive stand against one of the top offenses in the AFC. Although they allowed a touchdown in garbage time, they managed to defend their home and come away with a 42-20 victory.

Highlighted statistics:

• QB Patrick Mahomes: 23-of-26, 367 yards, 4 touchdowns
• RB LeSean McCoy: 27 carries, 109 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown
• WR Tyreek Hill: 7 receptions, 177 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns
• TE Travis Kelce: 6 receptions, 74 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
• TE Darren Fells: 6 receptions, 85 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
• S Juan Thornhill: 3 tackles, 1 interception