Two top ten defenses will face-off this week in a wild card matchup that many people didn’t believe could take place.
The Chiefs overcame the loss of Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles to go 11-5 and make the playoffs when no one believed it to be possible. Andy Reid has the Chiefs defense playing hard as a statistical top ten defense with Justin Houston planning to make a return opposite Tamba Hali to further bolster this defense. Marcus Peters, a virtual lock for Defensive Rookie of the Year, has contributed tremendously to this team and has accumulated eight interceptions and 26 passes defended. He is part of the reason why the Chiefs secondary has re-emerged as a strong point on the team.
The offense being led by quarterback Alex Smith, features its first 1,000-yard receiver in a while, has also played well and will present its own challenges to the Texans at NRG Stadium. The Texans offense is not one of the better units in the league with a shaky quarterback situation and Smith may not have to score a ton of points in order to steal a winnable game away from home.
The Chiefs do have one of the league’s better rushing attacks and will more than likely plan to avoid the strong point of the Texans defensive line in J.J. Watt. The Chiefs only averaged around 200 passing yards per game but is still nothing to sneeze at with Jeremy Maclin and tight end Travis Kelce presenting matchup problems downfield. They certainly have their hands full though as Smith will only have a few seconds behind his offensive line before the reigning defensive player of the year wreaks havoc upon their sets.
The Texans defensive line is the strength of the team as Watt leads that unit with 17.5 sacks and a ton of pressures but it is, actually, the rise of the team’s secondary that continues to surprise in recent weeks and will constantly test Alex Smith’s ability to find open receivers. The Texans’ weakness will not lay on the defensive side of the ball though.
The quarterback situation in Houston has been anything but consistent and it is a testament to the defense that the team has experienced the success that they have without running back Arian Foster. Credit should be given to Head Coach Bill O’Brien for Brian Hoyer’s efficient play but they still have a stiff test this week when they attempt to score against the secondary of the Chiefs.
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