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Five keys for Kansas City Chiefs to defeat the Houston Texans

By Lyle Graversen

KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 13: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs throws a pass against pressure from cornerback Lonnie Johnson #32 of the Houston Texans during the first quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 13: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs throws a pass against pressure from cornerback Lonnie Johnson #32 of the Houston Texans during the first quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /
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The Kansas City Chiefs now know that their first opponent in the playoffs will be the Houston Texans. Here are five keys to winning this matchup.

The Kansas City Chiefs got to sit back and watch the first round of the NFL playoffs this past weekend just like the rest of us. It was a nice reward for their strong end of the season and by the time the dust settled on Saturday (and the New England Patriots were sent home), the Chiefs knew that their upcoming opponent would be the Houston Texans.

Despite losing to the Texans in Arrowhead earlier this season, the Chiefs have opened as a sizable favorite in this game. If Kansas City can execute, there is every reason to believe they will win this game.

What exactly do the Chiefs need? In my mind, there are five major things they have to do in order to make sure this team advances to the AFC Championship game for the second straight year. I didn’t include common sense things like avoid major injuries or win the turnover battle—things true for every team in every NFL game ever played. These five things are specific to this matchup.

Also, while I will address the Chiefs’ loss to the Texans earlier this season, I think it’s important to note that the Chiefs had several key injuries in that game and that the Chiefs defense has made huge strides since these two teams first met. So this post won’t simply be a “don’t do this from the first game” piece (with one or two exceptions).

Before I get into specifics, my general outlook on this game is that the Chiefs definitely should win. They are the better team on both sides of the ball. That having been said, the Texans are a good enough team with a quarterback in Deshaun Watson that is capable of making special plays (as he proved late in their win over the Buffalo Bills). The Texans can absolutely knock off the Chiefs if Kansas City doesn’t go out and produce.

So let’s get to the specifics of how the Chiefs win this game, starting with what the Chiefs need to do right out of the gate.

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