On Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans in the AFC’s first divisional matchup. They would advance to the AFC Championship Game for the seventh consecutive time with a win. If they make it, you can attribute their incredible streak to being as healthy as they have been all season long.
The Chiefs offense suddenly lost a powerful weapon when Hollywood Brown went down in the first preseason game. As a result, they had to adjust by bringing back JuJu Smith-Schuster. When Rashee Rice was injured in the Chargers game, General Manager Brett Veach traded for DeAndre Hopkins.
In December, Brown returned, and his addition to the passing game, which featured Hopkins, rookie Xavier Worthy, Tight Ends Travis Kelce, and Noah Gray, was a stark reminder of what the offense looked like in training camp.
When the Chiefs lost Isiah Pacheco in week two, they brought back Kareem Hunt. When they lost kicker Harrison Butker, they hired a committee to perform the kicking duties until he returned to the roster in December.
Lastly, regarding defense, when Jaylen Watson broke his leg against the San Francisco 49ers, it was thought he would be out for the season. However, he’ll return on Saturday, just in time for the playoffs.
Generally, teams lose players at this point in the season. Aside from Rice, the Chiefs enter this matchup against Houston healthier than they have been all season.
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With three weeks of no-game action, their minds and bodies are clear, focused, and ready to battle the demons of NFL mortality by becoming the first three-peat Super Bowl champions in NFL history!
Head Coach Andy Reid, who will not receive votes for NFL Coach of the Year, has demonstrated a masterclass in roster patience and readiness when a player faces injury. His “next man up” mentality is the hallmark of his coaching abilities, but even he must pinch himself at the health of his team as they head into the playoffs.
Still, he has not strayed from the game plan. He expected his players to adjust to whoever was next to one another on any given snap. When Wanya Morris struggled at left tackle, he moved Guard Joe Thuney to left tackle, and suddenly, the offense sprang to life. They also signed veteran Left Tackle DJ Humphries.
The Chiefs faced Houston on December 21st and won quite easily. I suspect it will be the same on Saturday. Kansas City is the better-coached and more talented team, and they’ll have a full roster of healthy bodies.
I recognize that the Texans, who dominated the Chargers last week, are a popular choice for this game. However, that team had weaknesses, and Houston took advantage of their mistakes. This won’t be true against the Chiefs, who are headed into the postseason with their strongest team of the Reid era.
With a complete roster of healthy players, the Chiefs enter this game focused and determined to succeed for themselves and their fan base and to strike at their detractors. Their good health only boosts their chances of achieving all three goals on Saturday.
