Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans: Battle of two wild card hopefuls
Both Kansas City and Houston barely missed out on the postseason a year ago. Now with what appears to be rosters prepared to challenge for a playoff spot this year, this Week 1 matchup could be absolutely huge when all is said and done. That’s only magnified with other squads acting as strong favorites in their respective divisions.
If Houston can get above-average quarterback play from Brian Hoyer, it has a real chance of surprising folks this season. The team has a decent set of skill-position players, especially now that Arian Foster is slated to return at some point in the first six weeks. Treading water before his return will be the key. And that starts with reigning Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, who will be leading what should be a top-10 defense in the NFL. Though, it’s still all about getting good play from the guy under center. Week 1 against a stout Chiefs defense will tell us a lot about Houston’s ability to succeed in this area.
For the Chiefs, it’s mainly about two factors. Can Alex Smith push the ball down the field enough to keep opposing defenses honest? Will he have the protection from a reshuffled offensive line to even attempt doing this? Going up against Watt and Co. this week will tell us a lot about where the Chiefs are at in this category.