KCKingdom
Fansided

Andy Reid Reveals Texans Player He's Worried About Ahead of Playoff Game

As the Chiefs prepare for their Division Round meeting with the Texans, HC Andy Reid has revealed which opposing player is worrying him the most.

By Devon Platana

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid reacts against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Acrisure Stadium.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid reacts against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
facebooktwitterreddit

The Kansas City Chiefs will look to advance to their seventh consecutive AFC Championship Game when they host the Houston Texans for Saturday's Division Round showdown.

Although the Chiefs are the heavy betting favorites across most sportsbooks, the Texans shouldn't be underestimated this weekend. After all, DeMeco Ryans' defense dismantled the red-hot Los Angeles Chargers last week, and failing to take the visitors seriously could come back to bite Andy Reid & Co.

On Tuesday, the Chiefs head coach discussed what stands out to him about the Texans, including which opposing player he has his eye on.

Chiefs News: Andy Reid Talks Texans Defense, Azeez Al-Shaair

With just days to go before the Division Round begins, Reid told the media that the Texans' speed up front on defense is something that stands out to him, Specifically, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is someone who the 66-year-old HC knows could cause issues.

"We didn’t have a chance to play against (Al-Shaair) last year or last time we played them a couple weeks back," Reid said (h/t @sidelinesarah). "He’s fast also as a linebacker and he’s kind of their main play caller there."

"The speed of the d-line, the linebackers, just jump out at you."

The Chiefs picked up a 27-19 win over the Texans at NRG Stadium back in Week 16. However, as Reid pointed out, Al-Shaair was absent from the contest as he served a three-game suspension for a late hit. Kansas City is only one of two teams (the other being the San Francisco 49ers) that the 27-year-old has yet to face during his six-year career.

Al-Shaair played a big role in the Texans' wild-card win over the Chargers, amassing six total tackles — including three solo efforts. The impactful performance comes after the 6-foot-2, 228-pound LB recorded 45 solo tackles, four defended passes, two forced fumbles, and a pair of sacks across 11 regular-season appearances.

If that doesn't explain his impact enough, Pro Football Focus has given Al-Shaair grades of 71.5 for overall defense and 83.5 for run defense, cementing him as a top-10 linebacker in both categories.

Although Al-Shaair is capable of creating chaos, the Chiefs may have caught a break. The former undrafted defender didn't practice on Tuesday due to a knee injury, leaving time to tell if he'll be healthy enough in time for Saturday's festivities.

Fortunately, Kansas City's outlook is promising whether or not Al-Shaair suits up this weekend. FanDuel Sportsbook is currently listing the Chiefs as the 8.5-point favorites over the Texans in a Division Round affair that's projected to feature 41.5 points.

In other Chiefs news:

feed

Home/Kansas City Chiefs