Tag: Chiefs

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throws a pass, warming up before the Buffalo Bills divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 19, 2025.

Bills seek revenge in AFC Championship rematch vs. Chiefs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Buffalo Bills have patiently been waiting four years to get revenge against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas City will host Buffalo in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday night in a rematch of a 2021 meeting that the Chiefs won 38-24 to reach the Super Bowl.

It was a different time back then. Only 17,000 fans were allowed into Arrowhead Stadium because of pandemic-related health and safety measures, and most of that limited crowd was naturally pro-Kansas City.

Bills coach Sean McDermott believes Buffalo will have more support this time around.

“It’s huge,” McDermott said of having Bills fans in enemy territory. “We’ve gone on the road, we’ve played at home — our fans travel everywhere and anywhere that we play. So, we’ve got the best fans in the NFL. I think that the connection with our fan base, as I’ve said multiple times over, is unique in the NFL.”

Still, it’s going to take a lot more than having some rowdy fans in the building to beat the Chiefs, who have won eight straight playoff games. Only the New England Patriots (10 wins in a row from 2001-05) and the Green Bay Packers (nine in a row from 1961-68) have been able to string more victories together in the postseason.

A win on Sunday would send Kansas City to the Super Bowl for the third consecutive year, and considering the Chiefs have won the past two, quarterback Patrick Mahomes is aware of the target that he and his teammates have on their backs.

“You have to combat,” Mahomes said. “You have to look at your weaknesses and try to make those strengths, and then your strengths, make them even better, because you know that (the Bills are) gonna go out there and try to take away those things.

“It’s a great football team. Like I said, great players, well-coached and we know it’s gonna take our best in order to find a way to get a win.”

Kansas City and Buffalo have faced off six times since colliding in the 2021 AFC Championship Game, with two of those meetings in the postseason. The Chiefs won both of the divisional-round matchups, most recently taking out the Bills with a 27-24 victory in last season’s playoffs.

However, when the teams last met, Buffalo topped Kansas City 30-21 in Week 11 of this season.

McDermott doesn’t necessarily think the win will help the Bills come Sunday, though.

“That game stands alone, as this game will,” he said. “As you saw with our experience last week (against the Baltimore Ravens), these games are individual of each other.”

Buffalo edged the Ravens 27-25 to set up the date with Kansas City, which got past the Houston Texans 23-14.

Bills safety Taylor Rapp sustained a hip injury against Baltimore and wouldn’t have practiced on Wednesday anyway, but Buffalo only held a walkthrough. Rapp is also dealing with a back issue. Offensive tackle Dion Dawkins (illness) would have also been held out of practice, while linebacker Matt Milano (biceps/hamstring) was listed as limited.

Everyone on the Chiefs had the green light at their practice on Wednesday, including Mahomes, who popped up on the injury report because of his ankle. He suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 15 but didn’t miss any time and was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman (17) warms up against the Las Vegas Raiders prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman won’t be activated off IR, ending season

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman, out with a knee injury since early December, will not be activated off injured reserve and is out for the season, coach Andy Reid told reporters on Wednesday.

Hardman was put on IR on Dec. 7. The day before, he suffered the injury, apparently during work in an on-field practice.

The 26-year-old was eligible to return for the final week of the season against the Denver Broncos. He will not play Sunday when the Chiefs host the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game.

Hardman signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs in June, just months after he caught the game-winning touchdown in Kansas City’s 25-22 overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

A three-time Super Bowl champion, Hardman had 12 catches for 90 yards as well as five rushes for 62 yards and a touchdown this season. He also returned 20 punts and five kickoffs.

Hardman has 178 receptions for 2,302 yards and 16 touchdowns in 80 career games (28 starts) since being picked by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He signed as a free agent with the New York Jets to start the 2023 season before being traded back to the Chiefs.

–Field Level Media

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen reads off the play in the huddle during first half action at the Buffalo Bills divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 19, 2025.

NFL’s ratings slide continues through divisional playoffs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

An action-packed Sunday that featured two divisional-round playoff games didn’t prevent the NFL from seeing its ratings decline even further.

The Bills hosted the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC affair that kicked off at 6:30 p.m. ET, with an average of 42.2 million viewers tuning into Buffalo’s 27-25 victory. It marked a 16 percent drop in audience size compared to the divisional game that ran in the same time slot last year.

Granted, the meeting between the Bills and Ravens had some stiff competition, as the divisional game in the nighttime slot last season was a battle between Buffalo and the Chiefs that Kansas City won 27-24. An average of 50.4 million viewers saw that one, making it the most-watched divisional-round game in NFL history.

In other action Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles topped the visiting Los Angeles Rams 28-22 in an NFC matchup that totaled 37.8 million viewers. That game started at 3 p.m. ET and couldn’t generate the audience of 40.4 million that tuned into the comparable game in 2024 — marking a six percent drop.

Still, Philadelphia’s victory over the Rams ended up having the fourth-best rating in NBC history for a divisional playoff game, according to Nielsen.

Viewership had also been down during the regular season, the wild-card round of the playoffs and the other divisional games.

–Field Level Media

A lone Detroit Lions fan reacts to the stunning 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the NFC divisional round NFL playoff game at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.

Eagles, Chiefs Super Bowl favorites; sportsbooks smiling after Lions’ loss

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Sportsbooks took a partial victory lap following the elimination of the Detroit Lions, Super Bowl favorites entering the divisional playoff with the highest handle and ticket percentage for most major operators in that futures market.

The Lions were bounced from the NFC field by the Washington Commanders, who were a 10-point underdog by kickoff on Saturday night. Money shifted to Washington as the number grew ahead of the game and it paid off in a 45-31 win. The Commanders had a moneyline of anywhere between +376 to +430 and wound up in their first NFC Championship game since 1991.

“The Lions losing was a great result for the futures market at BetMGM. On top of knocking our biggest liability out of the running, the Commanders win also ruined the popular chalk money line parlay of Lions, Chiefs, and Ohio State,” Christian Cipollini, BetMGM trading manager, said Monday.

After wins at Tampa Bay and Detroit, the Commanders are ticketed for a third road game this weekend and their third matchup this season with NFC East division rival Philadelphia. The Eagles and Commanders split two entertaining games in the regular season.

FanDuel lists the Eagles as 5.5-point favorites Monday and the Commanders are fourth of the remaining four teams in the Super Bowl futures odds market. Kansas City is a 1.5-point favorite over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship at ESPN Bet and Fan Duel.

BetMGM moved the Eagles from +400 to win the Super Bowl last week to current +180 odds, overtaking the Lions as the favorite.

The Chiefs went from +350 last week to +240, narrowly ahead of the Bills. Buffalo went from +400 to +250 and the Commanders moved from +3000 at kickoff of the Lions’ game to +700 at BetMGM. FanDuel lists Washington at +750, the Eagles as the favorite at +180 and Kansas City (+220) ahead of the Bills (+250).

The most popular exact result Super Bowl matchup on the board at FanDuel and Draft Kings is the Chiefs beating the Eagles (+380), just ahead of the Eagles beating the Chiefs (+410).

Like Washington to keep it rolling? Consider the Commanders to beat the Chiefs (+1300) or Bills (+1600) at Fan Duel.

Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is +700 in the Super Bowl MVP futures market, fifth behind Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (+550) and quarterback Jalen Hurts (+400) and co-favorites Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (+280) at Draft Kings.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is sixth at +2800.

–Field Level Media

Jan 19, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Eagles, Chiefs open as conference championship favorites

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The Philadelphia Eagles emerged from their dramatic divisional playoff win with significant injury questions, but also as the title favorite among the remaining for teams.

The Eagles are the +180 favorite at DraftKings to win Super Bowl LIV ahead of Kansas City at +240 as the Chiefs chase a three-peat.

Philadelphia survived a late rally from the visiting Los Angeles Rams to win 28-22 in snowy conditions on Sunday. The Eagles were installed as a 4.5-point favorite by DraftKings at home against the Washington Commanders for the NFC Championship. Philadelphia is a 5.0-point favorite at some other sportsbooks, including BetRivers.

That’s despite quarterback Jalen Hurts playing through a left leg injury suffered in the second half of Sunday’s win over the Rams.

“It was a tough game, a challenging game,” Hurts said after the game. “I was able to finish the game, and we’ll see how the week goes.”

The Eagles’ Super Bowl odds shortened thanks in part to their upcoming opponent, with NFC East rival Washington taking out the No. 1-seeded Detroit Lions on Saturday. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will attempt to continue the Cinderella run, with the Commanders holding by far the longest title odds remaining at +650.

The fourth and final team to join the conference championship fray was Buffalo, which survived a heavyweight battle at home against Baltimore on Sunday night. After Josh Allen was able to outduel fellow MVP candidate Lamar Jackson, he has now booked another highly anticipated playoff date against the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.

The Bills have slightly longer Super Bowl odds than the Chiefs at +270, with No. 1-seeded Kansas City installed as a slight 1.5-point favorite by DraftKings and BetRivers for the AFC Championship Game. The teams also met for the AFC title in the 2020 season, when the Chiefs emerged as a 38-24 winner.

–Field Level Media

Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) meets with Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) after a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Texans upset with officiating following season-ending loss to Chiefs

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Houston Texans players and coaches are far from pleased with how the officiating crew called their 23-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.

Playing in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs for the second straight season, Houston felt like it had to contend with officials in addition to the Chiefs.

There were two calls in particular that had the Texans especially fired up, with the first coming on Kansas City’s second drive of the game. Houston defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was flagged for roughing the passer on what appeared to be a clean play on third-and-8 from the Chiefs 33.

Kansas City took that automatic first down and ran with it, eventually capitalizing when Harrison Butker kicked a 36-yard field goal to put the Chiefs up 6-3.

The Texans were also unhappy with a call in the third quarter. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambled for 9 yards and slid late, leading Henry To’oTo’o and Folorunso Fatukasi to seemingly deliver a blow to the signal-caller’s upper body.

However, replays on the ESPN broadcast showed that To’oTo’o and Fatukasi actually collided with each other. Still, To’oTo’o was hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty that cost Houston 15 yards.

Nine plays later, the Chiefs were in the end zone and up 20-12 with 11:52 to go in the fourth quarter.

“We knew it was going to be us vs. the refs going into this game,” Anderson said following the loss.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans took an indirect jab at the referees, but he also made it clear that Houston wasn’t nearly clean enough to dethrone the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.

“We knew going into this game, man, it was us vs. everybody. And when I say everybody, it’s everybody,” Ryans said. “Knowing that going into this game, what we were up against, we can’t make the mistakes that we made.

“Whether it’s special teams not converting our kicks. Defensively, not being where we’re supposed to be in coverage. Offensively, not protecting our quarterback and keeping him clean. You married that on top of everything else that we have to deal with, it’s just going to be a really tough uphill battle.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (29) carries the ball for a touchdown against Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) during the second quarter of a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Chiefs outclass Texans to reach AFC title game

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Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce connected on a fourth-quarter touchdown pass while Harrison Butker booted three field goals Saturday as the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs subdued the visiting Houston Texans 23-14.

Kansas City, which secured home-field advantage throughout the AFC with its 15-2 mark in the regular season, will welcome either Baltimore or Buffalo on Jan. 26 for a trip to the Super Bowl. The Ravens and Bills meet Sunday night in Orchard Park, N.Y. Meanwhile, fourth-seeded Houston bowed out in the divisional round for the second straight season.

The Chiefs led just 13-12 when Mahomes, who was falling down as he threw the ball, found Kelce in the middle of the end zone for an 11-yard scoring strike with 11:52 remaining. It was the highlight of an efficient performance for Mahomes, who hit 16 of 25 passes for 177 yards.

“The goal is just to continue to move on in the playoffs,” Mahomes said. “That was a good team football win.”

Kelce caught seven passes for 117 yards in the latest clutch performance for one of the sport’s most decorated playoff performers during Kansas City’s run of three Super Bowls in the last five seasons.

“You know (Kelce) is going to show up whenever there’s a big-time moment, and he did that,” Mahomes said. “Everybody was asking, ‘Where’s Travis Kelce at (this season)?’ I think he showed the world where he’s at.”

Butker added the team’s last points on a 27-yard field goal with 4:38 left. The Texans tacked on a safety when Kansas City punter Matt Araiza ran out of the end zone with 11 seconds to play.

C.J. Stroud connected on 19 of 28 pass attempts for 245 yards for the Texans, but their only touchdown was Joe Mixon’s 13-yard run with 4:36 left in the third quarter, capping a drive of 10:24.

Stroud took a beating, absorbing eight sacks, including three by George Karlaftis, and left late in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury. The eight sacks were one shy of an NFL postseason record.

Mixon rushed for a game-high 88 yards on 18 carries, helping Houston outgain the Chiefs 336-212. But a bevy of mistakes, which included eight penalties for 82 yards, ruined its chances of an upset.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans took a postgame swipe at referee Clay Martin and his officiating crew.

“We knew coming into today it was going to be us against everybody,” Ryans said.

Playing their key players for the first time since a Week 17 win at Pittsburgh, Kansas City scored three of the first four times it touched the ball. The Texans trailed 13-6 at halftime despite picking up 51 more total yards than the Chiefs.

Butker connected on 32 and 36-yard field goals to cap the Chiefs’ first two possessions, while Houston countered via Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 30-yard field goal on its first drive. That made it 6-3 Kansas City going to the second quarter.

Mahomes found Kelce open over the middle for a 49-yard gain on which he broke two weak tackle attempts to set up the half’s lone touchdown. Kareem Hunt scored on a high-stepping 1-yard run with 4:36 left before halftime.

Fairbairn got points on the board again with 16 seconds remaining, booming a 48-yard field goal. He also missed two field goals, including one that was blocked by Kansas City’s Leo Chenal with 1:46 left, and missed the extra point following Mixon’s touchdown to keep the Chiefs ahead at 13-12.

Andy Reid of the Chiefs became the fourth coach to accumulate 300 wins, including the postseason. The others are Don Shula (347), Bill Belichick (333) and George Halas (324).

“I know that means a lot to him,” Mahomes said of Reid. “Three hundred wins is crazy. But I think he’s trying to get to 302 at the end of this year.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid looks on during the second quarter of a 2025 AFC divisional round game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Andy Reid fourth coach to 300 wins, including playoffs

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The Kansas City Chiefs made fresh history for their accomplished head coach Saturday in their 23-14 divisional-round victory over the visiting Houston Texans.

The Chiefs raised Reid’s record in the playoffs to 27-16, putting him within four wins of the all-time leader, Bill Belichick (31 playoff wins). But when taken in concert with Reid’s 273 regular season victories, Reid has 300 career wins.

Just four coaches in NFL history have reached the 300-win plateau. Former Miami Dolphins head man Don Shula remains the all-time leader with 347 wins, while Belichick (Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots), is in second place with 333. George Halas (Chicago Bears) sits in third with 324, with Reid (Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles) rounding out the top four.

Reid and the Chiefs, who will host the AFC Championship Game against either the Baltimore Ravens or Buffalo Bills next Sunday, are in pursuit of an NFL-record third straight Super Bowl championship.

Reid could conceivably tie or surpass Belichick in career playoff wins next season.

–Field Level Media

Jan 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) reacts to his rushing first down against the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth quarter in an AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Texans’ Joe Mixon, Azeez Al-Shaair active vs. Chiefs

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Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair both are active for Saturday’s AFC divisional playoff game against the host Kansas City Chiefs.

Mixon was limited in practice this week with an ankle injury and Al-Shaair was limited with a knee issue.

Both were listed as questionable for the game against the Chiefs along with wide receiver Robert Woods (hip).

Mixon rushed for a team-high 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season with the Texans, while Al-Shaair finished third on the team with 70 tackles to go along with two sacks and two forced fumbles.

In last weekend’s 32-12 wild-card win against the Los Angeles Chargers, Mixon rushed for 106 yards and a TD and Al-Shaair collected six tackles and two quarterback hits.

While Mixon and Al-Shaair are active, the following players are inactive for the Texans: running back J.J. Taylor, linebacker Devin White, defensive end Jerry Hughes, center/guard Kendrick Green, guard Nick Broeker and defensive tackle Kurt Hinish.

The Chiefs’ inactives are as follows: safety Deon Bush, cornerback Keith Taylor, defensive ends Joshua Uche and Malik Herring, offensive linemen C.J. Hanson, Wanya Morris and Ethan Driskell.

–Field Level Media

Dec 8, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) catches a pass during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

NFL Divisional Playoffs: Texans-Chiefs Preview, Props & Prediction

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The divisional round of the NFL playoffs kicks off when the Kansas City Chiefs begin their quest for a three-peat at home against the Houston Texans on Saturday.

The Chiefs (15-2) will be well-rested coming off their bye week courtesy of earning the top seed in the AFC. The Texans (10-7) are coming off an impressive come-from-behind victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round.

ODDS & TRENDS
Kansas City is a consensus 8.0-point favorite, although the line was 8.5 at several sportsbooks on Friday. That includes at BetRivers, where the Chiefs have been backed by 86 percent of the spread-line bets and 96 percent of the money.

The 41.5 total points line has seen the Over draw 63 and 69 percent of the money, respectively.

PROP PICK
–Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco 40+ Rushing YArds (-175 at DraftKings): This has been the most popular player prop at the book, which is also offering +115 odds on 50-plus yards and +220 odds on 60-plus yards. Pacheco returned in December and has topped 50 yards only once in the past four games as he continues to share the backfield with Kareem Hunt. We do expect to see a heavier workload for Pacheco in the postseason.

THE NEWS
Will Anderson Jr. and Mario Edwards Jr. both had 1.5 sacks against Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who threw four interceptions to surpass his regular-season total of three in Houston’s 32-12 win.

Derek Stingley Jr. hauled in two of the Texans’ picks, while Eric Murray returned his interception 38 yards for a score.

“We talk about having aggressive hands and going to get the ball and pulling it away, pulling it down. Those things,” Houston defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “They all have the mindset of, ‘We’re going to attack the ball,’ you know. We try to say there’s no such thing as a 50/50 ball. … That’s our ball when it’s in the air. I think it’s a skill set for sure and it’s a mindset. I think those guys, when the ball is thrown to them, they want to go. That’s their ball.”

Houston grabbed a second-quarter lead in its Week 16 visit to Kansas City but lost 27-19, struggling to regroup after a would-be, game-tying PAT kick in the third quarter was no good.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes passed and rushed for a touchdown on an ankle he sprained the previous week. Texans counterpart C.J. Stroud passed for two scores but was intercepted twice.

Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who missed the game as part of a suspension following a hit that concussed Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, anticipates a fun matchup against Mahomes.

“I think it’s going to be a great competition,” Al-Shaair said. “Obviously, his resume speaks for itself. Just to be out there with the best of the best, that’s what you (play) the game for. On Saturday, it’s going to be all lights on us.”

Mahomes is 6-0 in divisional games in his career. He rested in Week 18 after matching a season high with three touchdown passes in the previous game. He and his wife welcomed their third child, daughter Golden, to start the week.

“This team shows a lot of resiliency,” said defensive lineman Chris Jones, who missed the last three games with a calf strain. “This team can win in a multitude of ways, whether it’s offense, defense or special teams. We’ve broadcast that throughout the year. This team had a lot of close games, we’ve had a lot of injuries, faced a lot of adversity early on throughout the year.”

Mahomes said he’s focused on the task at hand after a 15-2 regular season in which 11 games were decided by eight points or less. He flipped his social media profile pictures to his collection of Super Bowl rings in a message he’s back in business.

KEY STAT
With 15 career postseason wins, Mahomes can tie Joe Montana (16 wins) for second place all-time in playoff wins by a quarterback behind Tom Brady (35). Mahomes is four places behind Brady for the all-time playoff touchdown record, and just five TDs would bump him up to second place on that list. Brady has 88 TD passes in 48 playoff games; Mahomes has 41 in 18 games. Aaron Rodgers (45), Montana (45) and Brett Favre (44) stand between the two.

INJURY REPORT
Texans running back Joe Mixon did not practice on Thursday after being limited on Wednesday with an ankle injury and is listed as questionable for the game. He had 25 carries for 106 yards and a 17-yard touchdown last week.

Tight end Dalton Schultz (shoulder) was a full participant on Thursday after being limited Wednesday.

Al-Shaair (knee) missed Tuesday’s practice and was limited Wednesday and Thursday. He was shaken up during Saturday’s wild-card win, though he returned after missing just one snap and is listed as questionable to play against the Chiefs. Wide receiver Robert Woods (hip) has not practiced and is questionable, as is tight end Teagan Quitoriano (calf), who is on injured reserve.

For the Chiefs, wide receiver Mecole Hardman (knee) has been limited all week and is doubtful, while cornerback Jaylen Watson (ankle) is questionable despite being a full practice participant this week.

SERIES PLAYOFF HISTORY
The Texans are aiming for the franchise’s first AFC title game after five losses in as many trips to the divisional round.

Kansas City overcame a 24-0 second-quarter deficit against the visiting Texans in a divisional game after the 2019 season, winning 51-31 en route to a Super Bowl title.

The Chiefs blanked the host Texans 30-0 in a wild-card game after the 2015 season.

THEY SAID IT
“Every year is a new challenge. Every year is a new opportunity to go and achieve the ultimate goal, and that’s to win a championship.” –Jones

PREDICTION
The Texans pulled away from Chargers in the friendly confines of their stadium in Houston last week. Taking on a well-rested Chiefs team at Arrowhead Stadium — where the temperatures are expected to top out in the mid-20s on Saturday — is an entirely different task. Kansas City’s offense isn’t as explosive as in years past, but the Chiefs simply don’t lose at home in the divisional round of the playoffs.

–Chiefs 27, Texans 20

–Field Level Media