After defeating the Miami Dolphins in Week 15 and wrapping up the AFC South, the Houston Texans turn their attention to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are sitting comfortably in the No. 1 seed as they look for their third title in a row. The Texans are looking to move up from the No. 4 seed and more importantly, prove they belong among the elite teams in the AFC.
A win over the Chiefs would prove they're ready to make a run and that could happen if these three bold predictions come true.
3. Irv Smith, Jr. revenge game
A former second-round pick out of Alabama, Irv Smith, Jr. started his career with a couple of impressive seasons for the Minnesota Vikings. Injuries caused his development to stall and he's been bouncing around teams for the past couple of years.
In 2024, he began with the Chiefs but was released ahead of Week 1. He signed with the Texans practice squad in September and has appeared in two games. With Cade Stover ruled out following an emergency appendectomy, Week 16 should be No. 3 for him.
Smith will be TE2 along with Dalton Schultz and this first bold prediction is that he will get revenge on Kansas City for letting him go by picking up a red zone touchdown.
2. Calen Bullock gets pick No. 6 on the year
Third-round pick Calen Bullock has been quite the find for Houston. He comes into the weekend with 44 tackles, 10 pass defenses, and five interceptions. He's already established himself as a ball hawk and is one of several impressive young defensive backs on this roster.
This second bold prediction is that he takes advantage of the extra attention generated from the Saturday game and picks off Patrick Mahomes.
1. C.J. Stroud outduels Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes is banged up in Week 16 after suffering an ankle sprain in their win over the Cleveland Browns. There was a question surrounding his availability early in the week, but that ended quickly when he showed up for practice like nothing ever happened.
Tim Settle sent a strong message to Mahomes, letting him know that they plan to get after him. That's a prediction that's likely to come true since the Texans have Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson, Jr. on the edge — and both already have double-digit sacks.
Kansas City has some impressive pass rushers as well in George Karlaftis and Chris Jones but in this prediction, they don't impact C.J. Stroud as much as Mahomes is bothered by the Houston D-line. That leads to the youngster outdueling the Super Bowl champ, leading his team to a win. In the process, he can remind everyone why he won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.