When talking about the Texans road game against the Chiefs, most are focused on the Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes match-up.
That makes sense: two 24-year-old phenomenal quarterbacks that are mobile and exciting to watch.
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But the Texans secondary faces a tall task in defending “The Cheetah” aka wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Neutralizing Hill’s speed is something teams have struggled with all season, as Hill boasts 7 touchdowns, 58 catches and 860 yards so far.
“It’s tough because they have speed and they are good players, and they make plays,” said Texans Defensive Coordinator Romeo Crennel of the Chiefs offense.
Crennel and the Texans defense had a hard time earlier this season with Hill. Though the Texans won, Hill had 5 passes for 8 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hill wasn’t even fully healthy for that game, coming off of a shoulder injury.
Texans Cornerback Bradley Roby has experience defending Hill. Roby spent four years with the Broncos, who are in the AFC West with the Chiefs. Roby struggled in the game against the Bills, dropping two potential interceptions, but Crennel is still confident Roby’s familiarity with Hill could help.
“I think anytime you play against a guy more, you kind of know him more. You kind of get a great feel for him and what he’s going to do, how he runs his routes. So I think that’s helpful,” said Crennel.
Mahomes has plenty of weapons; Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce, to name a few. But feeding Hill early and often will no doubt be in the game plan. It’s up to the Texans secondary to make sure he’s limited. If they can do that, Houston may be on their way to a historic win.