Texans vs. Chiefs Preview: Highly-Motivated Mahomes, Kansas City

A Chiefs victory over the Texans clinches the AFC West crown.

The Houston Texans host a motivated Kansas City Chiefs team on Sunday from NRG Stadium. It's the third-straight road game for the Chiefs, who are fresh off a closer-than-expected win vs. the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, the Texans are hoping to build momentum from an almost-upset of the Dallas Cowboys. 

On the line for Kansas City? A Chiefs victory over the Texans clinches the AFC West crown, for the seventh-consecutive season.

A seventh division title in as many years for the Chiefs would match the Los Angeles Rams (1970s) for the second-longest division streak in league history (first is New England Patriots from 2009-2019.)

Meanwhile, the Texans are heading towards the No. 1 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. In their eighth-straight defeat, Houston utilized both Davis Mills and Jeff Driskel at quarterback against the Cowboys. A Mills' interception on the final drive cemented the loss but there were some positive takeaways, especially defensively, in the 27-23 loss. 

Houston held Cowboys' quarterback Dak Prescott to his second-lowest rating of the season. Tremon Smith was the recipient of both of Prescott's interceptions. Defensive backs Jonathan Owens and Jalen Pitre each recorded a pair of pass deflections. 

The Texans will now be faced with one of the most explosive and creative offenses in the league, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 

IMPORTANT INJURY NOTE: Standout rookie running back Dameon Pierce suffered a relatively mild high-ankle sprain Sunday against the Cowboys that is regarded as likely to sideline him for at least one game, according to league sources.

RECORDS: Houston Texans (1-11-1) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (10-3)

ODDS: The Texans are 14-point underdogs to the Chiefs.

GAME TIME: Sunday, December 18, 2022, at 12 p.m. CT

LOCATION: NRG Stadium (Houston, Texas)

TV/RADIO: CBS | KHOU11, SPORTS RADIO 610 | 100.3 THE BULL | MEGA 101

THE FINAL WORD: Could the Texans offense utilize both Mills and Driskel in their offensive game plan going forward?

"I thought it was effective (against Dallas)," Coach Lovie Smith said. "Two different flavors, and that's always tough for a defense to prepare with what we were doing with them. As far as what we're going to do this week going forward, we start evaluating, see what we need to do against another good division leading Kansas City football team. We'll see how that goes, but both quarterbacks were productive (on Sunday)."

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