After their first-round bye last week, the Kansas City Chiefs are set to host the Houston Texans this Saturday in the Divisional Round. Kansas City took care of Houston a few weeks ago, getting a home win over the Texans by a score of 27-19. The main goal of getting another playoff win is at the top of players' and coaches' minds in Kansas City, but for the fans, there are many reasons to look forward to this particular playoff run.
There is a sense of added history at stake for this franchise. For some players, individually, the Chiefs have some names who are looking to prove themselves in various ways. With those items in mind, this could be an extremely satisfying playoff stretch, if the Chiefs get back to where they want to go.
What are some overlooked storylines surrounding the Chiefs entering this current playoff run? Here are five to keep in mind for Kansas City.
1. Kareem Hunt gets to play alongside Mahomes in the postseason
Kareem Hunt has played in four career playoff games so far. One of those was with Kansas City which came at the end of his rookie season, in conjunction with Alex Smith playing his last year in a Chiefs uniform. Hunt ended up scoring a touchdown in that game for the Kansas City offense. Interestingly, he played another playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium while with the Cleveland Browns. The Chiefs won that game, though Hunt finished with another playoff rushing touchdown in Arrowhead.
Patrick Mahomes started that playoff game against the Browns but it's this Saturday that will be the first time in which Hunt and Mahomes are playing in a playoff game together. This is significant for a few reasons. Of course, Mahomes and Hunt were close friends during the running back's first run in Kansas City. They were each a member of the Chiefs' 2017 draft class. And in this season alone, Hunt has helped to provide a boost when Kansas City has needed it most on offense.
If Hunt does that again on Saturday, the significance of this upcoming performance being paired with Mahomes will only shine brighter.
2. Some former Texans are glad to be on the right side this time
While this does not necessarily incorporate the entire postseason, this upcoming playoff matchup could mean a bit more for some current Chiefs players. The last time Kansas City met Houston in the playoffs, one of the wildest postseason comebacks occurred. And the shift in momentum truly engaged in one quarter. Kansas City came back from a 24-0 deficit to lead 28-24 at halftime in the Divisional Round after the 2019 regular season. The Chiefs eventually defeated the Texans at home in that game 51-31.
On the losing side of that game were DeAndre Hopkins, Justin Reid, and Charles Omenihu. Now with the trio all being teammates on the Chiefs, they are hoping that they avoid that sort of severe heartbreak in a playoff game between Houston and Kansas City. Reid and Omenihu have each already won a Super Bowl in K.C., with Reid being there for the last two.
Hopkins has been one of the most accomplished wide receivers in his generation. But obviously, he has not won many playoff games in his career, let alone got to a Super Bowl. The veteran wide receiver will hope to start things off with a bang against his first-ever NFL team.
3. Nick Bolton, Trey Smith could be playing their last snaps in KC
Every team is going to lose some pieces throughout the offseason. But for the Chiefs themselves, there are a couple of homegrown talents who are set for free agency soon. Linebacker Nick Bolton and guard Trey Smith were both part of the 2021 draft class. Both players have been part of some epic moments or endings while donning Chiefs colors. However, the future surrounding them remains unclear.
The Chiefs would likely love to bring both guys back. Maybe they can do it. But as we know, there's simply not enough room to pay everybody. For someone like Smith, he has a real chance to reset the market at the guard position. That is especially true if he leaves for another team. Elsewhere, Bolton is inside of a market that is cloudier to project, when it comes to future contracts.
Whatever the Chiefs decide to do, each of Bolton and Smith have been key leaders for Kansas City—not only for their play but also for the way they handle themselves off of the field. Kansas City is likely entering a bumpy road trying to navigate the deals for these two, depending on how the team finishes in the playoffs.
4. Hollywood Brown's chance at cashing in
The year did not exactly go as expected for Hollywood Brown. Kansas City was hoping to reintroduce their deep ball to the league, so to speak, and Brown was hoping to be a key cog in that plan for 2024. Of course, his injury suffered in the preseason led to another hurdle. But late in the regular season, Brown was able to return and put a couple of strong performances together.
Brown could have a major chance at cashing in this offseason if he has a productive postseason run. It may not be a shot at landing a top-of-the-market deal at the wide receiver position, yet many teams would shell out more money for a veteran pass catcher if he tears it up in the playoffs. Even if he were to return to Kansas City next year, Brown could still convince the Chiefs to believe in him further. His late insertion to the offense just opens things up that much more for Mahomes and his weapons.
5. Making historic numbers look even more impressive
There are many simple statistics that people can find from recent playoff showings by the Chiefs, and how that compares to past NFL history. But overall, Kansas City and some players could etch themselves further with just one playoff win this postseason.
By reaching the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs will have gotten to the conference title in seven straight seasons. That would extend the second-longest streak in NFL history of reaching the conference championship in consecutive seasons. Tom Brady's New England Patriots hold the longest mark at eight consecutive years from 2011-2018. The last of those appearances for the Patriots was a win over the Chiefs in Mahomes' first year as the starter. To be one year shy of that record is another item that seems unfathomable given how difficult winning in the NFL truly is.
From a player perspective, Mahomes has only seen his campaigns end in the conference championship or the Super Bowl. A win over the Texans means he will have reached the AFC title game every year since taking the reins in Kansas City. And if you look at his past numbers in the Divisional Round, he has been exceptional. Along with a 6-0 record, Mahomes has 16 total touchdowns with no interceptions, while completing roughly 70 percent of his passes in the Divisional Round so far.