Just days from their home opener against the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid promises he’ll have his team ready to go for Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season. The Chiefs crushed the Texans, 51-31, in the last meeting during the divisional round of the 2019 postseason after falling behind 24-0. This time, both teams are back looking to get the jump on the other to start their season on a strong note.
Here’s what to expect in the NFL season opener between Houston and Kansas City on Thursday night:
Houston will Return with a Vengeance
Houston has not forgotten their depressing defeat to Kansas City during the 2019 playoffs, where they cashed in a 24-point head start that left every soul at Arrowhead stunned going into the second quarter. That is until Pat Mahomes and company got their buzzsaw of an offense going and not only bought their team back, but went into halftime with a 28-24 lead.
At that point, the Texans had fallen so far off a cliff, they struggled to recapture any momentum and gave up four more scores to brutally end their 2019 campaign.
Almost eight months later, expect everyone on this Houston Texans squad to love nothing more than to start their season by knocking off the Chiefs and get the bad taste out of their mouths. This game may also have playoff implications down the road as well, so stay tuned.
A High-Scoring Affair
Thursday night will display round-three of the Mahomes-vs-Watson saga, and the rivalry that has brewed between these two young quarterbacks has not disappointed, thus far.
This year, Mahomes has more weapons at his disposal than ever before, which should make Kansas City an offensive machine that will be nearly impossible for any defense to stop.
While Deshaun Watson also has playmakers, such as Will Fuller and Brandon Cooks, that can help him conduct enough offense to put points on the scoreboard.
One area that could go against the Chiefs and in Watson’s favor, is Kansas City’s young secondary that features Charvarious Ward, second-year corner Rashad Fenton, and rookie L’Jarius Sneed as the top three corners. While the Chiefs are confident in what their corners and safeties are capable of, this young group is going to have a learning curve that I believe opposing QBs, like Watson, are going to take advantage of early in the season.
Also don’t forget that Watson is an explosive quarterback that can be a duel-threat and make things happen with his legs.
Expect the NFL’s season opener to feature two explosive offenses that will be on full display.
Both defenses will have something to prove
The defensive units, for both teams, will have some questions that could get answered on Thursday night. Houston enters the 2020 campaign looking to improve upon their 28th-ranked defense that was 25th against the run and 29th against the pass. Meanwhile, Kansas City ranked atop the National Football League over the last six weeks of the 2019 season going into the playoffs.
Both defenses will have some tough assignments going up against some of the most talented offenses in the league.
For Kansas City, it’ll be interesting to see if Steve Spagnuolo’s defense can build off of their dominant stretch from the tail end of last season and carry it into 2020.
As for Houston, their goal should be to provide a more consistent pass rush so their defensive backs aren’t forced to cover wideouts Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman and Sammy Watkins longer than they need to. If they allow Pat Mahomes to sit in the pocket and pick his targets, it’s going to be a fun night for Chiefs Kingdom.
Houston will get defensive end J.J. Watt, 31, back, who returns after playing only eight games last season due to injury. Houston also has nose tackle Brandon Dunn, and linebackers Whitney Mercilus, Benardick McKinney, and Zach Cunningham returning to the lineup to help keep Kansas City at bay and get their team back on track defensively.
Both defensive units will have something to prove on Thursday night and could be an area to keep an eye on.
A Different Football Atmosphere
Due to the NFL’s efforts to combat and prevent the spread of COVID-19, the league owners and player’s association have agreed to frequent testing of players, coaches, training staff, and front office members. These strict efforts also mean little to no fans at the stadiums (the Chiefs are allowing over 16k), no cheerleaders, no on-field reporters, and no singing of the National Anthem among other changes.
While the extent of the effects these changes will have over the course of a game is yet to be seen, it’s sure to have some sort of impact in terms of fan support and homefield advantage. It’s also going to be just plain awkward not seeing the things we’re used to seeing at NFL games on Sunday.
It’s been eight months since the Chiefs and Texans last squared off and these are just some of the things to expect on Thursday night when they meet again.
