Randall the Handle
Rhiefs (11-5) at Texans (9-7)
LINE: KANSAS CITY by 3
Kansas City’s well-documented 1-5 start turned into an 11-5 finish. No team has more momentum heading into these playoffs than Andy Reid’s club. Perhaps the slow start is concerning to some but, in reality, four of the five losses were to teams that are in these playoffs. Three of them were road games in Green Bay, Cincinnati and at upstart Minnesota. A miraculous home loss to Denver saw the Broncos score two touchdowns in nine seconds to steal a win. The one other defeat was an 18-17 setback to the Bears, in which the Chiefs led 17-3 going into the third quarter until RB Jamaal Charles went down (ultimately for the season) and the air came out of K.C.’s balloon. Kansas City’s lone win in the troubled start was a 27-20 decision on this very field in a game that saw Houston starter Brian Hoyer get pulled for backup Ryan Mallett. Since then, the Chiefs have reeled off 10 straight wins utilizing a balanced running attack, steady play from QB Alex Smith and a strong defence. The Texans are a team that primarily relies on defence and, while their numbers may support a solid season, their body of work leaves much to be desired. Capturing the AFC South is not a selling feature. Nor is a three-game winning streak to finish the year when all three opponents were from this wretched division. The loss of Houston left tackle Duane Brown is a significant blow as Kansas City’s pass rush should exploit Brown’s replacement all afternoon. Difference in class shows up here.
TAKING: CHIEFS -3
Steelers (10-6) at Bengals (12-4)
LINE: PITTSBURGH by 3
An obvious narrative here is the quarterback situation as two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger will square off against novice AJ McCarron. Of course, there is some merit to that matchup, but Cincinnati’s overall roster is superior to Pittsburgh’s. The Steelers have Antonio Brown to throw to and a mediocre supporting cast after that. They may have lost starting running back D’Angelo Williams after he went down last week. That’s a problem. The Bengals have an array of offensive weapons with A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert, Marvin Jones and a pair of dangerous runners. McCarron has already faced the Steelers, but that was when he was forced into action when Andy Dalton was hurt early. Under the circumstances, McCarron performed admirably in a 33-20 defeat. The young QB went 22-of-32 for 280 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions but has not thrown once since, including a game at Denver against the league’s top defence. Defensively, Cincy allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL this year with 279 and was also second-best in touchdown passes allowed with only 18 through the air. Let’s also not forget where this game is being played as the Bengals have quietly been one of the top home clubs in recent years, having lost just five of past 26 here. Besides, should we really fear Pittsburgh? They blew an important game to the depleted Ravens two weeks ago and did not look so great against woeful Cleveland this past Sunday. Give us the points, please.
TAKING: BENGALS +3
Rhiefs (11-5) at Texans (9-7)
LINE: KANSAS CITY by 3
Kansas City’s well-documented 1-5 start turned into an 11-5 finish. No team has more momentum heading into these playoffs than Andy Reid’s club. Perhaps the slow start is concerning to some but, in reality, four of the five losses were to teams that are in these playoffs. Three of them were road games in Green Bay, Cincinnati and at upstart Minnesota. A miraculous home loss to Denver saw the Broncos score two touchdowns in nine seconds to steal a win. The one other defeat was an 18-17 setback to the Bears, in which the Chiefs led 17-3 going into the third quarter until RB Jamaal Charles went down (ultimately for the season) and the air came out of K.C.’s balloon. Kansas City’s lone win in the troubled start was a 27-20 decision on this very field in a game that saw Houston starter Brian Hoyer get pulled for backup Ryan Mallett. Since then, the Chiefs have reeled off 10 straight wins utilizing a balanced running attack, steady play from QB Alex Smith and a strong defence. The Texans are a team that primarily relies on defence and, while their numbers may support a solid season, their body of work leaves much to be desired. Capturing the AFC South is not a selling feature. Nor is a three-game winning streak to finish the year when all three opponents were from this wretched division. The loss of Houston left tackle Duane Brown is a significant blow as Kansas City’s pass rush should exploit Brown’s replacement all afternoon. Difference in class shows up here.
TAKING: CHIEFS -3
Steelers (10-6) at Bengals (12-4)
LINE: PITTSBURGH by 3
An obvious narrative here is the quarterback situation as two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger will square off against novice AJ McCarron. Of course, there is some merit to that matchup, but Cincinnati’s overall roster is superior to Pittsburgh’s. The Steelers have Antonio Brown to throw to and a mediocre supporting cast after that. They may have lost starting running back D’Angelo Williams after he went down last week. That’s a problem. The Bengals have an array of offensive weapons with A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert, Marvin Jones and a pair of dangerous runners. McCarron has already faced the Steelers, but that was when he was forced into action when Andy Dalton was hurt early. Under the circumstances, McCarron performed admirably in a 33-20 defeat. The young QB went 22-of-32 for 280 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions but has not thrown once since, including a game at Denver against the league’s top defence. Defensively, Cincy allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL this year with 279 and was also second-best in touchdown passes allowed with only 18 through the air. Let’s also not forget where this game is being played as the Bengals have quietly been one of the top home clubs in recent years, having lost just five of past 26 here. Besides, should we really fear Pittsburgh? They blew an important game to the depleted Ravens two weeks ago and did not look so great against woeful Cleveland this past Sunday. Give us the points, please.
TAKING: BENGALS +3
