3 Houston Texans to watch in the Divisional Round vs Kansas City Chiefs

The Houston Texans are facing a difficult challenge this week as the Kansas City Chiefs are next up on the schedule. Houston is coming off a dominant 32-12 win over the Los Angeles Chargers last week, while the Chiefs starters haven’t played in three weeks.

Houston will need all hands available to defeat the defending Super Bowl champions and could face some challenges this week, including the newfound passing attack that now includes Marquise Brown.

So, who will they need to have a big game from to come out with a victory? Let’s take a look at several players. 

Cornerback Kamari Lassiter

Kamari Lassiter will have a shot to shut down Patrick Mahomes and this Chiefs offense on Saturday. With Kansas City finding solid production out of players like DeAndre Hopkins, Xavier Worthy, and Marquise Brown, they’ve done a good job of spreading the ball around and letting everyone contribute.

Lassiter has been a very good addition to the Texans’ secondary, notching three interceptions, 10 passes defended, and four tackles for loss. 

Defensive Tackle Tim Settle Jr

Maybe the most underrated player on the defensive line, Tim Settle has quietly had a good season. While players like Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr get all the headlines, Settle comes in and does his job effectively. He totaled 31 tackles, five sacks, and 10 tackles for loss in the regular season. In a season where the Texans had multiple different linemen miss action due to suspensions or injury, Settle has been reliable and a true game-changer in the middle. 

The Chiefs rushing offense has left a lot on the table this year, with Fox Sports ranking them as the 22nd-best unit in the league. Kareem Hunt has been a difference-maker for the unit, though. Rushing for 728 yards and seven touchdowns on 200 rushing attempts, while Isiah Pacheco has rushed for 310 yards and one touchdown while playing in only seven games this season. 

Running Back Dameon Pierce

With star Running Back Joe Mixon injured and his status for the game uncertain, the Texans will need to rely on their former fourth-round draft pick. Since his breakout rookie season, Pierce hasn’t had much success in Houston. This year he totaled 293 yards and two touchdowns on 40 attempts. Now, he’ll have a larger role as the AFC championship is on the line. What kind of role he’ll have is still to be determined. 

However, we should see an increase from the five carries he normally receives. Pierce saw a bulk of the carries in Week 18 against the Tennessee Titans, rushing 19 times for 176 yards and one touchdown. The Texans can get enough production from Pierce to be able to win this game, and Houston could finally justify their draft selection here.