Battle Red Blog
Jared Sapp from Arrowhead Pride joins BRB for five questions
The Kansas City Chiefs are the gold standard in football and the Houston Texans take their shot on Saturday. In advance of the game we got an opportunity to sit down with Jared Sapp from our sister site Arrowhead Pride to get the lowdown on all things Chiefs in advance of the game.
Patrick Mahomes status is somewhat in doubt after he injured his ankle last week. However, he has been practicing this week, so early indications are that he will play. However, both teams have playoff spots sewn up, so some players could be rested. The Chiefs feel similar to the Texans in that they have sometimes struggled in spite of their sparkling record. We began our there.
Battle Red Blog: The Chiefs from afar have looked a lot like the Texans. They are strong on defense, inconsistent on offense, and play a lot of close games. Is that fair? If so, what do you see as the root causes?
Jared Sapp: It’s now a cliche, but the Chiefs have literally seemed like everyone’s Super Bowl for two years now. Even disappointing teams are full of some of the best players on the planet, and every squad seems to find a little extra against Kansas City.
The biggest problems for the Chiefs have been pass protection at the tackle spots and susceptibility to big plays since losing cornerback Jaylen Watson earlier in the season. The Chiefs have recently brought in reinforcements at both positions in DJ Humphries and former Texan Steven Nelson, but neither player is expected to suit up on Saturday.
BRB: Who are some players on offense and defense we might not know much about but will play a huge impact on Saturday?
JS: On offense, watch tight end Noah Gray. The Chiefs play so much 12 and 13 personnel packages that it’s hard to call a player who has been on the field over half of the offensive snaps a backup. Gray has five touchdowns since Week 11, and he and Mahomes are in rhythm. His career will never compare to Travis Kelce’s, but Gray is probably the more dynamic of the two players today.
On defense, Texans fans are familiar with their former defensive lineman Charles Omenihu, but he is ready to remind you if you’ve forgotten. After missing both revenge games against the 49ers (including the Super Bowl) after tearing his ACL in January, I suspect Omenihu has this game circled. He is also coming off of a great game against Cleveland in his third outing of the season.
BRB: If Carson Wentz is under center, do you have a good feel about what we can expect from him?
JS: In 2019, the Chiefs managed to beat a playoff team in that year’s Minnesota Vikings with Matt Moore starting for an injured Mahomes. Wentz’s best days are behind him, but I think he is a better option than Moore was at the time. I...
