Kansas City Chiefs: Way too early thoughts on 2019 opponents
By Chase Murphy
Houston Texans (11-5)
Deshaun Watson led the Houston Texans to a winning season last year, and will certainly be a match-up to watch for Chiefs fans next season. Watson and Mahomes came out of the same draft class in 2017, alongside other talented players like Mitch Trubisky, Alvin Kamara, and Leonard Fournette.
Watson was exciting to watch last season, with targets like DeAndre Hopkins, and Will Fuller pushing them to number one in the AFC South. They suffered an unfortunate loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the Wildcard Round.
Watson has the ability to put up a lot of points against defenses, but struggles when put under pressure. Dependant upon the fruits of the Chiefs’ defensive labors, this could be a real problem for the Texans.
Indianapolis Colts (10-6)
The last showdown between the Colts and the Chiefs was powerful, and decisive on part of Kansas City. In the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Chiefs beat out the Colts 31-13. Indianapolis fans are eager for the rematch of the two Pro-Bowl quarterbacks next season and with good reason.
Andrew Luck led the Colts to their first postseason run in four years, and after pushing their way past the Houston Texans in the Wildcard Round, faced the Chiefs in Arrowhead. Luck had a rough start at the beginning of the season but made an award-winning comeback at the end of the season.
The Colts could give the Chiefs a run for their money, but Mahomes is not an easy quarterback to outscore.
Minnesota Vikings (8-7-1)
The Chiefs and the Vikings have an old history that dates back to the first and only Super Bowl the Chiefs won, beating the Vikings 23-7 in 1970. The two teams only play each other once every four years, and next season will be the 13th game between the two. The Chiefs currently lead the series at 7-5.
The Vikings struggled in the NFC North last season after high expectations, coming in second in the division underneath the Chicago Bears. This was the second time in three years that the Vikings have been kept out of the postseason.
Facing the Chiefs at home will be a serious challenge for Kirk Cousins and company, and will be a game that is difficult to prepare for. The Vikings certainly cannot be counted out against any team, especially with talented receivers like Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen.