The Houston Texans (9-7) face the Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) at NRG Stadium in Houston in the Wild Card round of the AFC playoffs on Saturday, January 9, 2016, at 3:35 p.m. CST.
It’s playoff time in Houston. The Texans are back in the postseason for the first time since 2012, winning the AFC South title in Bill O’Brien’s second year as head coach. Sure, they can at least partly thank their lousy division for that, but the Texans have a lot to be proud of after finding a way to win nine games despite starting four different quarterbacks this season.
The Chiefs are the NFL’s hottest team, entering the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak after a 1-5 start. The Texans are on a nice roll themselves, winning seven of their last nine after a 2-5 start.
Both teams feature menacing defenses led by a pair of talented pass rushers (Houston: 2015 NFL sack leader J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus; KC: 2014 NFL sack leader Justin Houston and Tamba Hali). Both teams lost All-Pro running backs to injury early in the season (Houston: Arian Foster; KC: Jamaal Charles). And both teams have had efficient if not exactly inspiring play from their quarterbacks (Houston: Brian Hoyer; KC: Alex Smith) — although in fairness, KC’s Smith has a stellar postseason track record and is perennially underrated.
Breakout star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins leads the way for the Texans offense, while the Chiefs’ top playmakers are wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and tight end Travis Kelce. Can the Texans avenge a Week 1 loss (27-20 at NRG Stadium) to advance to a Divisional Round date with New England or Denver?
Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Date: Saturday, January 9, 2016- Time: 3:35pm
- Location: NRG Stadium, NRG Park, Houston, TX 77054 (insert a link from google maps)
- Admission: $123 and up on NFL Ticket Exchange; you may find cheaper, better or hard-to-get seats on TicketNetwork’s resale marketplace.
