A typical refrain proved out once again on Saturday: The Chiefs are at their finest in the clutch.
In spite of flexing frequently versus the Texans, Kansas City's defense not just declined to break, however broke back, shattering Houston's best-laid prepare for an upset success thanks to 8 sacks from planner Steve Spagnuolo's smothering pass enter a narrow 23-14 Divisional Round win.
“They're excellent gamers that like to play the video game,” head coach Andy Reid described postgame when asked how his group appears to produce more huge plays in turning points, per group records. “We're sitting here, it's that time of the year, guys stepped up and did simply a good task. Spags puts them in position to be able to do that and after that they make the most of that, that's how that goes.”
Parts of the Chiefs' very first championship game of the project, a Week 16 rematch, followed the exact same plan seen in a lot of Kansas City's triumphes throughout the routine season.
Patrick Mahomes and the offense spun their wheels however made simply enough plays, depending on the defense to restrict scoring on the other side.
While Spagnuolo's system showed up to the job by holding Houston to 14 points, the group was unquestionably leaking.
Kansas City quit 336 overall backyards compared to 212 and permitted both quarterback C.J. Stroud and running back Joe Mixon to do harm on the ground. Stroud got numerous very first downs with his legs and had 42 backyards, while Mixon balanced 4.9 a bring for 88 backyards and a goal.
Coming out of halftime, Houston sustained a 15-play goal drive that took 10:24 off the clock, stopping working to knot ball game at 13 just due to an errant additional point. What had actually been a 10-point margin up until 16 seconds stayed in the 2nd quarter developed into a razor-thin lead late in the 3rd quarter, all without the Chiefs touching the ball.
As Reid mentioned, it was that time of the video game, throughout that time of the year.
After collecting 3 sacks in the very first half, Kansas City was blanked in the 3rd quarter before entering into hyperdrive– none more so than protective end George Karlaftis, who tallied 3 sacks of his own in simply the last frame.
“Spags has actually existed and done that,” Karlaftis stated. “He has all of this experience and he understands what to hire vital circumstances.”
On Saturday, those crucial scenarios required additional rushes, as Spagnuolo called up blitz after blitz to rattle the Texans' operation and diminish the protection time needed on the back end.
Karlaftis got his very first sack on such a play, roaring around the edge past tight end Dalton Schultz on a fourth-and-10 before confining a dancing Stroud in the pocket.
“When you get a sack, it's a huge thing, it's a huge offer– both as a play and as a stat,
