Texans at Chiefs: Preview & Prediction – On Thursday night, for the first time in fifty years, a Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs team will grace the gridiron of an NFL stadium. Like most of Chiefs Kingdom, I’m pumped for the NFL opener, which affords the Houston Texans a chance at avenging their 51-31 come-from-behind drubbing by the Chiefs in last years AFC Divisional Playoff Game.
State of the Texans
You don’t have to be a rocket surgeon nor a brain scientist (yes, that was intentional) to know that the Texans are chomping at the bit to avenge their ignominious drubbing suffered at Arrowhead last January. That the Chiefs saw fit to include the Texans logo along with the playoff game score & deficit overcome in their Super Bowl Championship ring is certainly salt in the wound. They’re primed to exact their revenge & help salvage their wounded pride.
Alas, their offseason moves were anemic at best, & downright destructive at worst. While they’ve shorn up their offense with the acquisition of ex-Cardinal running back David Johnson, it cost them dearly with their, arguably, most potent offensive weapon, with the jettisoning of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. While downfield weapons Will Fuller, Brandon Cooks, & Kenny Stills are appetizing targets for the talented QB Deshaun Jackson… they ain’t DeAndre, they just ain’t.
An aging J.J Watts (31) is the only bright spot of an unproven, & honestly, rather suspect defense. I honestly tried to find bright spots in the Texans defense to fill this space with, but I got nothing. Absolutely nothing.
State of the Chiefs
Thanks to the wizardry of general manager Brett Veach, the 2020 Kansas City Chiefs are essentially the same as the 2019 Super Bowl LIV Champion Chiefs, only better, if you can believe it. They suffered no great losses, save for the opting-out of running back Damien Williams do to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sure, the loss of Dustin Colquitt hurts, too, but that’s more of a sentimental loss than it is an actual loss. New Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend’s got this.
The offense is identical to that of last year’s, pretty much, except for 1st-round draft pick, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, out of LSU. CEH is a welcome addition to the Chiefs offense, & I expect him to make contributions early & often.
Much like the offensive side of the ball, the defense remains pretty much the same. Look for second round pick Willie Gay Jr., like fellow rookie CEH, to have an immediate & potent positive impact on the Chiefs defense.
The Chiefs are the scariest team in football, right now.
Key Matchup to Watch
While they certainly don’t go head-to-head, the matchup to watch in Thursday night’s game is Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes against the Texans QB Deshaun Watson. Both are recipients of monster contracts this offseason & eager to prove to their respective teams that the investments were worth it.
The winner of this matchup is rather simple. Deshaun Watson is, undoubtedly, one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL. Patrick Mahomes, undisputedly, is the most talented quarterback in the NFL.
Besides, Mahomes spends his spare time practicing no-look & behind the back passes.
Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson….
… well, Watson plays one mean air guitar.
What Scares Me Most
The scariest thing about the Chiefs NFL Opener, is not the Houston Texans, nor any Texans player, offensive or defensive. Their coaches give me no cause for concern either. No, my greatest worry for this game is potential injuries to the players from both teams. I fear that the absence of the preseason this year will have a deleterious effect on the health of a multitude of players from all teams this year. I sure hope I’m wrong.
Key Player to Watch
Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. is the player to watch during this game. I’m betting that Watson will try the rookie early & often, & Gay will answer the bell in stellar fashion. I predict an INT for our young man from Mississippi. Heck, a pick six is not out of the question. Thursday night’s game is Gay’s first audition for his consideration as DPOY.
Oh, keep your eye on CEH, too. He might just do something… as in, incredible.
Wet Your Whistle
ArrowheadOne readers & Chiefs fans who are, like myself, too impatient to wait two whole days for their football fix, I suggest you pass this evening re-watching the condensed version of that tremendous, titanic, terrific trouncing of the Texans from January 12th of this year.
For tomorrow, the eve of the NFL opener, NFL Network has you covered with the debut of their annual documentary, America’s Game: The Super Bowl Champions, which chronicles our Chiefs 2019 campaign & ascension to Super Bowl Champions. The show airs at 7PM (CST).
Immediately after America’s Game, at 8 PM (CST), we are privy to a special NFL Network’s, Times Yours: Andy Reid & the 2019 Chiefs.
For the night owls of Chiefs Kingdom & those so inclined, you can stay tuned to watch what’s billed as “the can’t miss party of the year,” Kickoff Eve, at 9 PM (CST). Colleen Wolfe, NFL Network’s on-air-talent, hosts. Kickoff Eve promises to feature a plethora of NFL stars, including our own Travis Kelce.
If you hang in long enough to watch all three, you’ll probably want to turn in immediately afterwards. After all, as Marshawn Lynch, courtesy of Frito-Lay, reminds us, Thursday’s a big day!
Hey… & What’s With All The Ampersands?
You may have noticed the exorbitant use of ampersands — & — today’s article is a prime example. Ampersands are strongly discouraged when writing for print or web, except in cases of company names such as Procter & Gamble, or AT&T, or in abbreviations like R&R — Rest & Relaxation — or B&B — Bed & Breakfast. Other than those exceptions, ampersands are strictly taboo.
Why then, all the ampersands? Why it’s National Ampersand Day, of course!
Celebrating our popular, curly, & cute little glyph requires that we:
- Use lots & lots of ampersands, &
- Substitute “&” for “and” in everything you write.
Click here for interesting facts on ampersands & the origin of National Ampersand Day.
Prediction: Final Score
I already predicted my final score, Chiefs 42, Texans 10, in an earlier article. I stand by that score, but I’ll do two better. Patrick Mahomes will pass for over 400 yards & 4 touchdowns, while our erstwhile rookie, CEH, will score his first professional football touchdown & notch his first 100 yard-game.
Thursday night promises to be an abysmally miserable night for the Texans: coaches, players, & fans alike.
Michael Travis Rose — ArrowheadOne
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