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On Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs face the Houston Texans. We welcome Scott Barzilla of Battle Red Blog — our sister SB Nation site covering the Texans — for Five Questions with the Enemy.
1) The Texans had it rough as the season ended — and early on, looked to be serious trouble against the Chargers. Which version of the team is the real one?
I think both versions are the real Texans. The team been consistently good on defense this year and a lot of people are underselling them. I have an article on Battle Red Blog about what they have done to opposing quarterbacks this season that might surprise you. On offense, it has been difficult with a porous offensive line (and injuries to key receivers) to get anything consistent going. So I imagine they will have moments of brilliance and moments that make you scratch your head. It will be up to the defense to carry them.
2) The Chiefs had no answer for Tank Dell before his unfortunate injury. If Kansas City again puts heavy attention on Nico Collins, who will Houston use to attack the defense?
They haven’t found one yet. They picked up Diontae Johnson on the waiver wire in the hopes of injecting something into the offense, but he has been fairly quiet so far. Both Cade Stover and Dalton Schultz made plays on Saturday, so maybe they run some two tight end sets. In terms of receivers, John Metchie has been the most consistent receiver outside of Collins and Dell, but he can’t really stretch the field. However, he is good for a handful of catches that might move the chains.
Editor’s note: On Tuesday, the Texans waived Diontae Johnson and placed Cade Stover on their Reserve/Injured list. The Balitmore Ravens claimed Johnson on waivers — but under postseason rules, he cannot join that team until after the Super Bowl.
3) With only a handful of players still on the roster five years later, is there any revenge narrative from the Chiefs’ 51-31 playoff victory in 2019?
I think most Texans (and most Houston fans) would just as soon forget the Bill O’Brien experience, thank you very much. In all seriousness, I don’t see it as a factor. The Texans know that get out of the AFC they have to go through the Chiefs. So this game is a measuring stick — but I think it would be for any team playing the Chiefs in this round. I think that was true five or six years ago as well, so nothing has really changed.
4) Do you see the expected frigid elements impacting what the Texans will want to do on offense?
Frigid does not worry as much as wind and precipitation. Quarterback C.J. Stroud has played in the cold when he was at Ohio State, so I’m not as concerned about him. He seems to struggle more in rain and wind, so if there is any of that it could be a problem. Thankfully Houston has a healthy Joe Mixon to provide a running attack, so hopefully that is enough to take some pressure off of him.
Editor’s note: In the week’s final injury report, Mixon was listed as questionable for the game after being limited for Wednesday’s practice and held out of Thursday’s session.
5) The Chiefs are currently an 8.5 point home favorite. Do you think that line is fair? How do you see this one playing out?
I think the Texans keep this closer than that. I have a hard time seeing them win the game, but something like 24-20 seems like a good score to land on. Both teams played a majority of their games within one score. I think that is where they are both most comfortable. I see the Chiefs winning — and they may win more convincingly than the score indicates — but this might be a little bit of gamesmanship from Andy Reid. He may hold back something in preparation for the winner of the Buffalo Bills/Baltimore Ravens game.
Be sure to check out the answers I gave to their questions by clicking here.
