The Chiefs have all the tools to win a playoff game and compete with the best.
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The Kansas City Chiefs shut out the Houston Texans to win their AFC wild card match 30-0 on Saturday and maintain their dream of a first Super Bowl appearance in 45 years.
Kansas City (11-5) finished with two more wins than the Texans (9-7), but is the road team after finishing one game behind the Denver Broncos in the AFC West. The Chief last won a playoff game in 1993 – 28-20 against the Oilers in the Astrodome.
Houston will wear a brace on his knee against the Texans, and is practicing with it this week so that he can get used to it. In some ways, it’s similar to the situation he was in two years ago, when he wore a brace on his dislocated elbow for a playoff game in Indianapolis. The Chiefs linebacker has 7.5 sacks this season and two interceptions, and combined with Chiefs leading tackler Derrick Johnson, the Chiefs are clearly a hard matchup for any team. They dug out of that prodigious hole with 10 straight wins.
Houston’s challenge unraveled after a nightmare display from quarterback Brian Hoyer, who was intercepted four times while making only 15 of 34 attempts for 136 yards.
“We were down 27-9 in the first half”. “Having been here and played in four playoff games now since I’ve been here, I think I’ve got a handle on how to do that”.
Coach Bill O’Brien knows it helps to have players such as Watt and many members of his staff with playoff experience as they prepare for Saturday’s game. The teams traded interceptions in the first quarter with Chiefs safety Eric Berry and Texans linebacker Brian Cushing coming away with diving picks. He doesn’t view this game as a chance at redemption.
Kansas City will keep the ball on the ground to stay out of third-and-long spots where Watt wreaks havoc. “They played us tough, and it was tough for us to have success against them. I think it’s a combination of good coaching and great players”. Watt took the direct snap but had nowhere to go and lost a yard on his first career carry.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ are able to get at the quarterback quite effectively. “He’ll be ready to roll”. The public likes the trends and KC’s current hot streak going into this game.
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The Chiefs play the Texans Saturday at 2:35 p.m. MT. Coverage starts on Denver7 at noon. Jeremy Maclin set franchise record with career-high 87 catches for 1,088 yards and eight TDs. And they did it without star running back Jamaal Charles who was lost to injury early in the season. LB Jadeveon Clowney, who should play after missing last week’s game with foot injury, has 2 1/2 sacks in last three home games…. The Texans feature the third best defense in the National Football League statistically. The Chiefs had just 46 yards of total offense before Alfred Blue more than matched that total late in the first half with a 49-yard run to the Chiefs 13-yard line. With J. J Watt in the backfield, it is expected that he will be double teamed for most of the night.
