Arrowhead Pride
Which Kansas City players caught our attention as the team defeated Houston in the postseason’s Divisional round?
Your Kansas City Chiefs are heading back to the AFC Championship for the seventh straight season after their 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans in Saturday’s Divisional round game on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
This was a truly complete team win, featuring big contributions from offense, defense and special teams.
Some of the outcomes were predictable. The GOATs were on the field in the postseason — and as usual, they made some memorable plays. But there were also a few stories of redemption and development that shouldn’t go unnoticed — and a few players who were unusually silent.
EDGE George Karlaftis: Make no mistake: this was a defensive victory. The pass rush was dominant — and Furious George was everywhere. In his first-ever three-sack performance, Karlaftis showed he can take over a postseason game. As always, his motor was on full display — but he also employed great technique, athleticism and the ability to be a closer. That’s what we expect in a pass rusher looking for a new contract. Karlaftis ended three Houston drives with sacks — including one on fourth down and another at the two-minute warning.
Cornerback Trent McDuffie: If there was any question about whether the two-time All-Pro is among the league’s best corners, he once again showed that folks only need to watch him play. McDuffie stifled Nico Collins and the other Houston receivers, knocking down more passes (3) than got past him. While the coverage was pretty solid across the secondary, teams should know they should never test McDuffie.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones: Big-time players make big-time plays in big moments. Jones was his usual menacing self, leading the charge into the Texans’ backfield. In the first quarter, Jones took C.J. Stroud down for a loss of 12 on a third-and-eight, knocking the Texans out of field goal range.
EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah: In this week’s “Mailbag Show,” we discussed how every playoff run features under-the-radar guys who make names for themselves. While this former first-round pick isn’t exactly unknown, Anudike-Uzomah showed us how far he’s come. In the second half, he had two tackles-for-loss — and also had an important sack at the two-minute warning.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo: We could go on listing individual defensive contributors, but you get the idea: Playoff Spagnuolo was in Hall-of-Fame form. In many ways, his defense carried the day, holding a talented Texans offense to 12 points. Remarkably, the team amassed eight quarterback sacks. We’ve already mentioned three members of the Kansas City front, but we can’t leave out Charles Omenihu — who continued his uncanny streak of playoff strip-sacks — along with Tershawn Wharton and Chamarri Conner, who also got home as Spagnuolo dialed up pressure after pressure. The run defense and secondary also held their own, leaving Houston few opportunities to keep pace.
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