Trent McDuffie on Matchup with Nico Collins: 'I Love Going Against Players Like This'

Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie previewed his upcoming showdown with Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins. How did McDuffie fare in the first matchup?
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) celebrates with teammates after an interception during the first half against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) celebrates with teammates after an interception during the first half against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans are set to face off in the divisional round of the playoffs on Saturday, less than a month after the two AFC division-winners met in Arrowhead Stadium in Week 16. While both teams will have a few different wrinkles in the rematch, a key matchup for Kansas City's defense went KC's way in December.

In that pre-Christmas showdown, the Texans' passing game was held in check by cornerback Trent McDuffie and the Chiefs defense, with the exception of a long touchdown to wide receiver Tank Dell. Unfortunately, as Dell hauled in the score, he collided with a teammate and suffered a season-ending knee injury. With veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs already done for the year, the Texans' passing game becomes even more reliant on wide receiver Nico Collins.

In the Texans' wild-card round win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Collins recorded seven catches for 122 yards and a touchdown, accounting for more than 40% of quarterback C.J. Stroud's 282 passing yards.

On Tuesday, McDuffie spoke to the media and was asked about what kind of challenge Collins will bring to Saturday's game.

"I love going against players like this," McDuffie said. "I call him a complete receiver. He's big, he's physical, he's fast, good hands. His connection with C.J., you can tell, is at an all-time high. They're kind of clicking on all cylinders, and he's their No. 1 receiver. That's really why you want to play this game – go against the best competition in a game that means a lot in the playoffs. Excited to go against him knowing what he's going to come into this game with, and ready to go compete."

According to NFL Pro, McDuffie was targeted seven times against the Texans in December, including four targets to Collins. On those four plays, McDuffie sniffed out two screens, allowed an eight-yard completion, and scooped an interception. Including the negative yardage from the screen plays, Collins had four targets against McDuffie, resulting in three catches for five yards and an interception.

Read More: Andy Reid Updates Left Tackle Battle: Will Joe Thuney or D.J. Humphries Start vs. Texans?


Published
Joshua Brisco
JOSHUA BRISCO

Joshua Brisco is the editor and publisher of Kansas City Chiefs On SI and has covered the Chiefs professionally since 2017 across audio and written media.