Though my calculations may be off ever so slightly, it's felt as though approximately 90 percent of the coverage devoted to this Sunday night's showdown between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs has been focused on the Texans defense versus the Chiefs offense. Frankly, this isn't a surprise. If you're looking for star power in this game, this is the matchup where you'll find it.
As Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice -- who hasn't lost a step after a long injury/suspension related layoff -- look to keep the Chiefs postseason hopes alive, they'll be doing so against the best defense in the NFL, led by Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and a super-deep and completely locked-in cast of Texans defenders.
But what happens when it's the Texans offense taking the field against Steve Spagnuolo's defense? This matchup will have just as much of an impact on the result of this game, yet it's gone almost completely uncovered.
That's partially due to the fact that household name star power lacks both the Texans offense and the Chiefs defense, but it's also because there seems to be a well-established perception of what you're going to get out of Houston's offense. This somewhat stagnant, middle of the pack offense which has already let their defensive counterparts down numerous times this season isn't going to be able to muster much on the road, in the cold, with a home crowd that will be just as loud as they are desperate, aiming to will Kansas City back above .500.
But just because that's the tune that everyone seems to be singing, it doesn't mean Steve Spagnuolo is willing to listen. The longtime defensive coordinator doesn't seem an offense that fails to pose a threat. He's sees a group that has slowly but surely been improving throughout the season. And that makes for a tremendously dangerous opponent.
“All of a sudden, it’s all clicking, in my opinion,” Spagnuolo told reporters Thursday, per Justin Churchill of AtoZ Sports. “I look at that whole team (Texans), first of all. They’re well put together; they play off their defense. They’re really good on defense, but getting the quarterback (Texans QB C.J. Stroud) back, this may be one of the best overall receiver groups that we’re going to see.
“They can run the football, and they have a quarterback that’s dynamic with his feet and good at getting out of trouble, so it doesn’t get any easier. There are no soft pitches in this league. We need to play better defense. Hopefully, being at home, we can tick it up a little bit.”
One thing that Spags didn't note specifically but is certainly well aware of is that driving all of this is a Texans offensive line that has not just turned a corner from last season -- when the group was an unmitigated disaster -- but even from earlier in the 2025 campaign, when it looked like the unit would top out as something resembling a slightly below-average unit.
Thanks to some minor tweaks and more time getting familiar with Nick Caley's system, this ground has rounded into at least a league average unit. And if you're the Chiefs defense, which is middle of the pack against the run and has the 7th-fewest sacks in the NFL this season, this becomes an unexpected and unwelcome problem.