10 winners and 4 losers in Chiefs’ win over Texans

Your Kansas City Chiefs are returning to the AFC Championship for the seventh straight season following their 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans in Saturday’s divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

This was a truly complete team victory, featuring great contributions from the offense, defense and special teams.

Some results were predictable. The GOATs were on the field in the playoffs – and as usual, they made some memorable plays. But there were also some stories of redemption and growth that shouldn’t go unnoticed – and some unusually quiet players.

Winners

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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 could take over a playoff game. As always, his motor was on full display – but he also displayed great technique, athleticism and the ability to be a closer. This is what we expect in a passer 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 as to whether the two-time All-Pro was among the best corners in the league, he once again showed that people just need to watch him play. McDuffie stifled Nico Collins and other Houston receivers, completing more passes (3) than he completed. Although media coverage has been pretty solid in the secondary, teams should know that they should Never test McDuffie.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones: Great players make important plays in big moments. Jones was his usual menacing self, leading the charge in the Texans backfield. In the first quarter, Jones beat CJ Stroud for a 12 down on a third and eight, knocking the Texans out of field goal range.

EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah: On this week’s “Mailbag Show,” we talked about how each playoff series features unheralded guys making names for themselves. While this former first-round pick isn’t completely unknown, Anudike-Uzomah has shown us how far he’s come. In the second half, he made two tackles for loss – and also had a significant sack after the two-minute warning.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo: We could keep listing individual defensive contributors, but you get the idea: Playoff Spanish was in the form of a Hall of Fame. In many ways, its defense won out, limiting a talented Texans offense to 12 points. Remarkably, the team assembled 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 bizarre strip-sack streak in the playoffs — as well as Tershawn Wharton and Chamarri Conner, who also returned home them when Spagnuolo called. pressure after pressure. The run defense and secondary also held up, leaving Houston with few opportunities to keep pace.

Tight end Travis Kelce: It was a dominant performance for the 35-year-old Hall of Famer, recording seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown – including his longest catch-and-run of the season (and his postseason career). Playoffs Kelce is back – and he’s breaking Jerry Rice’s records.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes: In win-or-go-home games, the double MVP (and perhaps more importantly, the triple Super Bowl MVP) finds a way. While it wasn’t a huge statistical performance for Mahomes, it did feature yet another moment for his Canton highlight: a dart to Kelce in the end zone while he was being tackled. We’ll be talking about this one for a long time.

Running back Kareem Hunt: If there was any player who wanted this win as much as Kelce and Mahomes, it was probably Hunt. After his career in Kansas City ended abruptly before the team’s playoff dominance began, Hunt once again became an important part of the offense. The Chiefs’ running game didn’t do much on Saturday, but Hunt still managed to keep the chains (and the clock) moving, providing tough yardage — and the first touchdown of the game to boot. . His story of redemption in Kansas City continues.

Wide receiver Xavier Worthy: The child continues to improve. In his first playoff game, Worthy showed off his skills with the ball to make a contested 21-yard catch, which is a good sign for his development as a complete receiver. He finished the afternoon with five catches and 45 yards – and it still feels like his best is yet to come.

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub: If we want to recognize the assistant coaches on this list, we can’t ignore Toub. From the kickoff, it was clear his unit was going to be a factor. Nikko Remigio completed his first return of the playoffs for 63 yards to set up a short field for the offense. Then, late in the game, safety Justin Reid arrived, helping linebacker Leo Chenal block a field goal to dash the Texans’ hopes. And oh, yes… after all the concerns about Kansas City’s placekicker, Harrison Butker made all five of his kicks – in less than ideal conditions.

Losers

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Left tackle Joe Thuney: Head coach Andy Reid decided to stick with the offensive line that helped the Chiefs get to this point. The result wasn’t great, but it was clear that Thuney struggled against Will Anderson Jr. and a tough Texans front. Anderson had two sacks and three tackles for loss, along with a number of pressures – many of which were at the expense of the All-Pro guard playing tackle. I don’t know if there’s a better option, but it was certainly a tough match for Thuney.

Other wide receivers: Who could have predicted that, apart from Worthy, the team’s wide players would find themselves with four targets – and no catches? Mahomes only threw the ball 25 times, so there weren’t many opportunities. But it was still surprising to see DeAndre Hopkins go without a catch against his old team – and Hollywood Brown failing to get one after a few weeks of rest. On offense, this game was all about Mahomes and Kelce – but in the next round, they’ll need more from their other receivers.

Sports bettors: When the Chiefs led 23-12 and got the ball back after the two-minute warning, the game was effectively over. Mahomes kneeled twice and the clock ran down to fifteen seconds, but Kansas City faced a fourth-and-15 at its own 18-yard line. I’m sure the subsequent decision to take an intentional safety was a safe one – but with the spread at -9.5, dropping the margin of victory from 11 to 9 was a big deal for many who had l money on the game.

Those who blame the referees: Without naming names, it was sad (but predictable) to hear from players, coaches, supporters (and the media!) complain once again that the civil servants are somehow on the side of the bosses. In a dynasty, this comes with the territory; people will always try to excuse greatness. But it’s a shame that so much of the post-match commentary focused on a few penalties – rather than the excellent performances that truly decided this match.

Note: The application of the labels “winners” and “losers” is not a judgment on the talent or character of any of these players. It’s just a simple way to evaluate their performance in a single game. No disrespect is intended.