KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Having played them less than a month ago, the Kansas City Chiefs will face a familiar foe in the Houston Texans in Saturday’s divisional round at Arrowhead Stadium.
Likewise, Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie will get another test against one of the game’s best wide receivers in Nico Collins. In their matchup before Christmas, McDuffie and the Chiefs defense got the best of Collins and the Texans, as the Chiefs won 27-19 and held Collins to seven catches for 60 yards.
While facing McDuffie, Collins was held to three catches for five yards and McDuffie intercepted a pass — one of two interceptions thrown by Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
“I love going against players like this,” McDuffie said of Collins. “I call them a complete receiver. He’s big, he’s physical, has good hands, his connection with C.J. you can tell is at an all-time high. They’re clicking on all cylinders, and he’s a No. 1 receiver.
“And that’s really why you want to play this game — to go against the best competition in a game that means a lot in the playoffs. So I’m excited to against him knowing what he’s going to come into this game with and I’m ready to go compete.”
Despite missing five games with a knee injury this season, the 6-foot-4, 222-pound Collins still had 68 catches for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns. And last week in the wild-card round against the Chargers, Collins had seven catches for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said while he was pleased with how the Chiefs played against the Texans in the regular season, they’ll have to be even better on Saturday.
“They’re pretty smart and they move guys around,” Spagnuolo said of the Texans. “But no matter who ends up on (Collins), all 11 sets of eyes on defense need to know here he is. He is what we call a game-wrecker. And if you let a game-wrecker on offense wreck the game that’s not going to be good. So he’s a guy that we’re certainly concerned about.”
But the Texans have to be concerned about McDuffie, who was recently named an All-Pro for the second time in his first three seasons. In 16 games this season, McDuffie had two interceptions to go with 59 tackles and half a sack.
McDuffie, though, isn’t concerned about personal accolades. He’s focused on the team.
“I’m not someone to come into the season wanting all these personal goals,” McDuffie said. “Anytime I get them I always say I’m thankful. And everybody who got it, I think they should’ve got it. But my goal is really my focus on the team and what we can do there.”
