Battle Red Blog
Seems awfully early to have a must-win game, but that’s exactly where the Houston Texans find themselves this week.
Only 7 teams from each conference make the post season. The Texans are currently 8th in line. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are 9th.
If you’ve been paying attention to H-Town pro ball at all over the last decade, you know the Chiefs have ruined Houston’s playoff hopes more than once. In memory-searing, painful ways. In fact, the Texans haven’t beaten them since 2019.
Thankfully for all of us, the 2025 Texans are built different. This isn’t Bill O’Brien’s never-ready-for-prime-time bunch. This is Demeco’s Dawgs, on the hunt.
EDGE specialists Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. have a combined 21.5 sacks and 26 tackles for loss this season.
The Texans are currently tied for 2nd in turnover differential with +9. The Chiefs are +2. Calen Bullock, Jalen Pitre and Derek Stingley Jr. have a combined 11 interceptions so far. Bullock also has a forced fumble.
Now, KC’s coach Andy Reid and OC Matt Nagy run a far better offensive scheme than Houston’s Nick Caley. So, the sacks, TFLs and takeaways are going to be the key to victory for the Texans this week.
The Chiefs have scored 305 points so far this season – good enough to rank 10th in the league. The Texans defense? The only unit in the NFL to have surrendered under 200 points right now. And, obviously, that’s #1.
Unfortunately, Caley’s offense is 22nd in scoring with only 263 points.
The blundered final drive to end last week’s first half against the Indianapolis Colts was a prime example of Caley’s game management and play calling deficiencies. Even all-world Texan J.J. Watt, who was providing color commentary for the game, was completely bewildered by the self-induced offensive stall.
That sort of Not-For-Long game management won’t get the job done in the playoffs. Hopefully, C.J. Stroud’s leadership instincts kick in and he pushes the envelope and gets this offense firing on all cylinders in spite of his OC.
Now, despite how unsuccessful Dan Orlovsky was as an NFL QB, his game analysis and predictions have pushed him to the front of the line in the NFL talking heads world. He sees improvement with Caley, which is great to hear. Just not sure I agree that this is Caley’s doing, when all the same issues of struggling to pick up red zone yards, poor clock management and other plagues from the first few weeks remain.
