There’s a plan for Houston Texans to pull off a feat that only Tom Brady and Joe Burow have accomplished since 2018.
Once January rolls around, the Kansas City Chiefs look unstoppable. Well, Patrick Mahomes at least does since he’s only lost twice in the AFC playoffs since being named the starting quarterback in 2018.
Three times if you include the Super Bowl.
Everything starts with correcting the little things. The Texans (11-7) eliminated their self-inflicting wounds during the second half of Saturday’s wild-card round win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
There also has to be an internal buy-in. Houston is one of seven teams remaining in the hut for a Super Bowl. That should be motivation enough.
“You usually don’t play that long unless you make it to the championship. That’s kind of how it feels,” Stroud said. “It’s cool because we get another week to hang out with one another and go spend time together off the field. These types of games, it’s about who stays tight-knit because crazy things happen in the playoffs. Just like last week, crazy things happen. Whoever can gel together is usually the one to win.”
Securing a win is common for Houston in the wild-card round. After shoring up a double-digit victory over the Chargers, the Texans improved to 6-2 all-time in the postseason’s first weekend.
It’s Round 2 where struggles reside for the AFC South champions. The Texans are 0-5 in the divisional round, most recently falling short last season of making the AFC title against top-seeded Baltimore.
Before that, Houston blew a 24-0 first-quarter lead against Mahomes en route to a 51-31 loss. Mahomes would go on to secure his first Super Bowl title three weeks later with a win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Weather is expected to be a slight factor at kickoff, but nothing too serious compared to the windchill out in Buffalo. Stroud, who started two seasons at Ohio State, said playing in Columbus prepared him for the cold weather, though it differs from playing in wet.
“It’s better than playing when it’s wet,” Stroud said. “And then it snows, which is better than if it rains.”
Kickoff from Arrowhead Stadium is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
