The last time that the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs squared off, the reigning AFC South champions got kicked out of the playoffs by a powerhouse football team that represents a budding dynasty.
Since that frigid January game at Arrowhead Stadium, both teams have gone in twisting directions.
The Texans, 0-5 against the Chiefs since a 2019 road win, have a painful past at Arrowhead Stadium filled with bitter disappointments.
View the latest NFL odds at Bovada!
Texans’ and Chiefs’ Journey
Texans on a Roll After Rocky Start
The Texans, though, are making a serious playoff run and are in the thick of the AFC South division race. After a rocky 0-3 start, they’re riding a four-game winning streak. They’re 7-5 overall and need this game Sunday night to keep pace with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts, whom they defeated last Sunday in their fourth one-score victory in a row. The Jaguars and Colts are tied for first place and play each other Sunday.
“For us, it’s not looking back in the past,” Texans Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr. said of the team’s rough track record against the Chiefs. “Obviously, we know that feeling, but it’s really just gonna be all about us. We go in there, we execute, be detailed, locked in our job, mentally sound, man, I think we get the outcome that we want. And that’s just everybody doing their job, everybody having fun, flying around and playing to our mentality.”
Chiefs at a Crossroads
As for the Chiefs – the AFC’s Super Bowl representative who lost to the Philadelphia Eagles and has won three Super Bowl titles in the past six seasons – they’ve reached a crossroads as an aging team that dropped to 6–6 after last week’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. They’re dealing with multiple offensive-line injuries, having placed rookie left tackle Joshua Simmons on injured reserve, and will also be without guard Trey Smith and right tackle Jawaan Taylor this week.
They have dropped three of their last four games.
“We just have to execute at a higher level. We’ve done a lot of good things, but we’ve made a lot of mistakes that we haven’t been able to overcome,” Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “At the end of the day, you have to go prove it. You have to prove it on game day.”
Chiefs’ Struggles: Penalties and Lost Leads
The Chiefs’ primary issues are penalties, dropped passes, and losing leads as they’ve faded in the second half.
They’ve proven they can still play at an elite level, at least occasionally, as they did in wins over the Lions and Colts. But they’ve also had a propensity for committing too many penalties, dropping too many passes, and blowing too many late leads.
That’s what transpired in a 31-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys as they squandered a one-point lead in the fourth quarter.
This marks the Texans’ longest winning streak since a nine-game run in 2018.
They could become the fifth team since 1990 to start the season winless through three games and qualify for the playoffs. One of those other teams that accomplished that: the 2018 Texans, coached by Bill O’Brien.
Stroud Emphasizes Preparation
“I think it all goes back to preparation, and how confident you walk in those stadiums,” Texans
quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “Our preparation has to be even better than last week, because every game gets bigger and bigger. So, it’s exciting times. I think everybody knows what’s at stake. So it’s just trying to rise to those levels and go 1-0 every play.”
Texans Dismiss Past Rivalry
The Texans regularly discuss a one-week-at-a-time mentality and have dispelled a lot of talk about past setbacks to Kansas City.
“No rivalry, no hard feelings,” said Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, the architect of the NFL’s top-ranked defense. “We lost a football game. New season, we have a new team. About this team this year, how do we go out? How do we prepare this week to put ourselves in position to go out and play as best as we possibly can. This is a new year. We’re here to play Kansas City with this team this year.”
Prime-Time Showdown Awaits
This shapes up as an extremely competitive game.
“A great team, super focused team, we know what it takes to beat them guys,” Texans wide receiver Nico Collins said. “We gotta play our four quarters, we gotta be great in fundamental football. We gotta be on the details, man. We gotta go and be sharp. When the opportunity comes, you gotta take advantage of it.
Prime time, no better opportunity than to go out and have fun.”
*Any tips, predictions, or strategies published are entirely the opinion of the author, and are not guaranteed to be correct or result in financial gain. The Author is not an employee of Bovada.
Please be aware that there are always financial risks involved in gambling and it is the responsibility of the individual to place bets with or without the information provided on this website. Bovada cannot be held responsible for any financial losses that may incur as a result of following any of the tips, predictions, or strategies provided on this website.